Predestination
by S.E. Mellark
Summary: When Atem was just two years old, a peasant and his wife from the lower district of Memphis gave him a gift that, for a long while, the prince could not appreciate.
1. Introduction

_Author's Note: _The idea struck me the other day and I couldn't let it go. Blame my hyperactive brain. This fic is already done, but I think I'll post a chapter a day for the next week or so. The length of this first one makes me want to cry, but they're all relatively short, so I'll get over it eventually. This is puzzleshipping/blindshipping, whichever way you want to see it. I personally see Yami Yugi and Atem as the same person, so I don't see why there needs to be two different names, but that's just me.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I most likely never will.**

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**Introduction**

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When Atem was just two years old, a peasant and his wife from the lower district of Memphis gave him a gift that, for a long while, the prince could not appreciate.

A quiet, amethyst-eyed child had been the offering, a boy of only four with downy hair of black, maroon, and blond that the peasants had called Yugi. Atem learned later on that Yugi's parents had owed a debt to his family – what kind of debt, though, he had never been told – and as payment, they had given Yugi to the throne, offered him up as a slave to the young prince.

Those who had been around to witness the event often spoke of how distraught the child's mother had been, how tired the father had looked, and how Yugi simply stood by with one pale finger in his mouth, sucking the digit silently while the unoccupied hand gripped tightly at the cloth of his mother's robes. Atem's father, Pharaoh Aknamkanon, had accepted the offer graciously and assured the pair that Yugi was appreciated and would be well cared for throughout his days of servitude, then sent the couple on their way.

Yugi was said to have reacted in a rather peculiar way. He had released his mother's clothing without resistance when she had told him to, withstood the hugs his parents forced upon him, then silently watched as they turned and left him standing in the throne room, the sound of his mother's sobs echoing off the walls. The child had watched the spot where his caretakers had left for some time before removing his finger from his mouth, uttering a single word. "Bye."

It was the first word Yugi ever spoke inside the palace.

And for quite some time after his arrival, it was also his last.


	2. Week Three

_Author's Note: _Thank you to everyone who reviewed! The response I received was not at all what I was expecting. So thank you for that!

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**Week Three**_  
_

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"Should he not be talking by now, Brother? The boy is two years old, after all."

"Atem will talk when he is ready, Akhenaden." Pharaoh Aknamkanon stated, fixing his brother with a firm look that called for the end of the discussion, even though his brother's words rang true.

At two years of age, Atem should have already been spouting broken sentences and a few choice words, but not even a "daddy" had fallen from the boy's mouth yet. He cried when he was upset and laughed like any other normal child Aknamkanon had seen, but he refused to actually speak.

It reminded the Pharaoh of another young boy living in the palace, the child Yugi who had been brought to him three weeks prior. Even now, as the two brothers talked in the throne room with Atem at their feet, servants were standing by, awaiting their orders to serve. Yugi was among them, having been given to a fairly young slave girl the day of his arrival, who was now in charge of him for the remainder of his childhood. Mai was her name, and while she was not a motherly type of girl, she would teach the young boy how to serve the royal family; specifically Atem once the two boys grew a little older. Atem had already been introduced to Yugi, and while the two hardly spent much time together, Aknamkanon had noticed how Atem seemed to brighten when the young slave was around. Perhaps his son enjoyed having another child around that was not Mahado or Mana.

Brief farewell to his parents aside, Yugi had yet to speak a single word in all the time he had spent at the palace. Aknamkanon had asked Mai on many occasions if she was having any luck in getting the boy to speak, but the girl's reply was always the same. "The little tyke can do just about anything I ask of him except tell me how he feels or what he wishes to eat."

Yugi's silence was unexplained, and Aknamkanon hoped it would not cause problems in the future.

"Still." Aknamkanon sighed as his brother continued to press the issue, unwilling to be silenced. "The people may see this as a disability, something to use to argue that Atem is not fit to lead the nation."

"Brother, my son is only two years old." Aknamkanon replied dryly. "Tis a long time yet before he will need to lead our country. Until then, I truly doubt anyone will take issue with this aside from you."

The Priest sniffed indignantly, staring down at Atem as the toddler yanked on his robes, gurgling happily around his own small, chubby fingers. "I am only expressing my concern as his uncle." Akhenaden said, waiting until his brother was not paying attention to yank his robes away from the toddler, who blinked in shock at the sudden removal of his plaything. "Seto was speaking before his first birthday, as you know."

"Oh, yes, I remember." The weary Pharaoh said. He would never hear the end of that one. "Seto is indeed a bright – "

"Yugi!"

Both men ceased their conversation as a tiny voice, one neither of them had ever heard before, spoke up. Atem had focused on the slaves and was reaching, both hands outstretched, for the four-year-old kneeling silently beside Mai. Yugi's head snapped up from its customary bowed gesture of submission at the sound of Atem's voice, but he quickly resumed his position when Mai dealt him a swift blow to the back of the head, ignoring the young prince as if he hadn't spoken at all.

Atem would have none of that, however, new-found voice rising in obvious displeasure as he called, once more, "Yugi!"

Perplexed and intrigued, the Pharaoh waved his hand. "Tis alright if Yugi interacts with my son, Mai. Atem obviously requires his company."

Mai nodded obediently and nudged Yugi, who was on his feet and at Atem's side in a matter of seconds. The slave child grabbed onto one of Atem's outstretched hands, kneeling in front of the prince with an unreadable expression on his face. It was another thing about the boy that the Pharaoh found odd. Unlike any child that the man had ever seen, Yugi did not laugh, did not smile. He hardly showed any emotion at all. It was slightly unnerving.

"There, you see." Aknamkanon said proudly, glancing over at his brother, who was watching Atem and Yugi through narrowed eyes. "Atem is intelligent. He will speak when he is ready."

"Yugi." Atem said again, turning his head to beam at his father, who smiled fondly down at the child in return. His son's first word had not been what they had all expected, but it was good enough for the time being.

And as the Pharaoh watched a tiny smile appear on Yugi's face, he decided Atem's first word could not have been a more perfect one.


	3. Year Two

_Author's Note: _I love your guys' opinions on the story. You're all so observant xD Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or alerted this story. It's nice to know ideas for stories that I come up with while I'm trying to sleep aren't completely idiotic.

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**Year Two**

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"What do you want to play, Atem?"

Atem glanced over at Mana, dark, ebony eyebrows furrowing together over crimson eyes as the four-year-old contemplated his friend's question. "Umm . . . I don't know. What do you want to play?"

Mana giggled, rolling her eyes as if the question in itself was the most absurd thing she had ever heard. "You're the Prince, silly, I have to do what you wanna do."

"Why?" The young boy puzzled, glancing over at Mahado, who was sitting on the floor not far from them, reading a scroll. The three young children had been left to their own devices for the time being, ordered to stay in their playroom while negotiations went on between Egypt and its neighboring country, Sinai. Not that Mana and Atem actually understood any of that. At the ages of four, neither really had much interest in politics. Mahado, at eight, understood very little but pretended to pay attention, which was more than what his friends would do.

"Because when you get older, you'll have the right to tell us to do anything you want, Young Master." Mahado replied without looking over at them. "Mana is just speeding up the process."

"But that's mean!" Atem exclaimed, fretfully picking at the bottom of one of his sandals. "I don't want to order you around."

"Well, you don't have to, I guess." Mahado added with a sigh, throwing his scroll to the side. There was no way he'd be able to concentrate on his studies with those two around. "The right is just there."

"Well, if _I _was Princess, I would make everyone wear pretty dresses; even the boys." Mana declared.

Atem looked confused. "Don't we wear dresses now?"

"Tunics, Young Master, there is a difference."

"And I would make a full day for making flower crowns." Mana continued, eyes sparkling with visions of the impossible that, to her young mind, were just within her reach. "They're so pretty and they smell really good! I bet they'd make everyone really happy."

"That's stupid." Atem stated bluntly, to which Mahado winced, already feeling a headache coming on. Just as he'd expected, Mana's eyes were already starting to water dangerously.

"Just because you're the Prince doesn't mean you have to be such a meanie, Atem." Mana said, sniffing, and Atem recoiled, panic written clearly on his face. Once Mana got started it was almost impossible to stop her.

"Oh, he didn't mean it Mana." Mahado said, getting to his feet and approaching the two, shooting Atem a warning glance. "Did you, Young Master?"

Atem shook his head furiously and then straightened, a huge smile on his face. "I know! Why don't we go make flower crowns, Mana? Do you wanna do that?" Mahado almost laughed. The prince already had a way with women at such a young age. Pharaoh Aknamkanon wasn't going to have much trouble finding Atem possible brides in the future.

The emerald-eyed girl brightened, crocodile tears instantly forgotten. "Really?"

A knock on the door startled the three, and Mahado watched as the door creaked open and a blonde head peered around the corner. "Are you three alright in there?" Mai asked. "I thought I heard shouting."

"Mana and the Young Master were just deciding what activity they wanted to do most." Mahado replied, to which the younger two nodded in agreement, already getting to their feet. "They decided to go to the garden and make flower crowns."

"Well, isn't that adorable." Mai said, opening the door wider to reveal another figure behind her, gazing into the room with a curious look on his face.

Mahado glanced at Atem, already expecting his reaction. "Yugi!" The excitement was clear on the child's face. Mahado knew that Atem had a fascination with the young slave, had had that fascination since he was only two years old. The eight-year-old didn't understand the slave's appeal, couldn't guess why the prince was so attached to him, but he couldn't deny that Atem was happy when Yugi was around. That was enough for Mahado. "We're gonna go to the garden. Do you wanna come?"

Mahado watched, fascinated, as Yugi shifted uncomfortably behind Mai, glancing up at the older woman imploringly, as if asking for help. The girl nodded, fixing Atem with a smile that Mahado knew was at least a little forced. "I apologize, my Prince, but Yugi has other duties that he needs to take care of right now. Perhaps he'll be able to join you later."

Atem frowned, gazing at Yugi, half-hidden by Mai's skirts, but he didn't say anything in reply. Mai bowed her head in farewell, waiting for Yugi to do the same before closing the door gently behind her. "Yugi has never played with us before." Mana said, glancing over at Atem's pouting face. "Does he not like us?"

"Yugi doesn't play with us because he can't." Mahado explained. "He's not allowed to."

Atem was quick to comment. "What? Why not?"

"Well," Mahado paused, searching for the right words to explain such a complex subject to the curious four-year-olds, "the Young Master will be Pharaoh someday, I'm training to become a Priest, and you, Mana, will do the same once you're a little older. Yugi's a slave, and we're the children of high-ranking officials, so he's not allowed to play with us."

"So?" Atem challenged, seemingly upset on Yugi's behalf. "If he can't play with us, then who does he play with, Mahado?"

"The other slave children, I'd assume." There was no point in adding that Mahado had actually witnessed Yugi being teased by two other slaves before. Multiple times, in fact. He doubted Yugi did much of anything except tag along with Mai and carry out his duties.

"What's the difference?" Atem exclaimed, crimson eyes blazing with something much too intense for a four-year-old.

"I think maybe Mahado means . . . Yugi cleans things and we don't . . . so he can't play with us." Mana tried to sort it out, crossing her arms over her chest in deep thought. "'Cause he's too busy. Right?"

"Sure." Mahado agreed, nodding. _Why is this my job?_

"Well, that's not fair." Atem said firmly. "You said I can tell anyone to do anything. So, what if I told Yugi to play with us?"

_Why do you want him to so badly? _"I suppose you could, one of these days, but slaves and royalty just don't play together, Young Master. It's a rule."

Atem said nothing for a moment, glaring up at Mahado as if he was the one making the rules that restricted him from playing with the violet-eyed slave, but then he relaxed, sighing heavily. "Can we go make crowns now?" Mana asked eventually, uncomfortable with the heavy silence. It was rare for the three of them. In their friendship, there was usually never a moment of silence.

"Okay." Atem agreed, a glint in his eyes that Mahado recognized as determination. "But when I'm Pharaoh, I'm going to change that stupid rule."

Mahado smiled to himself, shaking his head before grabbing Mana's hand with his right and Atem's with his left. The boy had always been stubborn, so Mahado wasn't going to try and explain again. Atem would learn eventually. "When you're Pharaoh, you can do whatever you want. Now let's go make those crowns."


	4. Year Four

_Author's Note: _Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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**Year Four**

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When Prince Atem grew bored, it was usually Yugi he sought out first, and as a six-year-old training how to be the next leader of his country, those moments were not a rare occurrence.

Up and down the corridors Atem wandered, searching for one of the few children in the entire palace who the prince had deemed a worthy enough playmate. It hadn't always been that way, for the persistent young prince had only just managed to persuade the adults to allow him to be around Yugi without someone watching them. The other children – Mana, Mahado, and sometimes Seto aside – were stupid anyway, as Atem would so often tell his father, and Yugi would play whatever Atem wanted to play whenever Atem wanted to play it. He never talked though, and that was something the prince did not understand. How could you get what you wanted if you couldn't tell anyone? It really was puzzling.

"Well, I think he's just a brat."

Atem paused, glancing around in confusion when he heard a voice. Where was it coming from? "Of course he's a brat." Another voice had joined the first, and Atem followed the sounds to a door that was slightly ajar, though he stood quietly outside instead of barging in. He and Yugi sometimes did the same thing when they caught Mai sneaking off with a man on occasion. Atem never could make out the sounds coming from the door, though Yugi would always force him away with an odd expression on his face before they could find out. "He's the Prince of Egypt, and he's spoiled. Atem gets whatever he wants, and we have to do everything for him. It's not fair!"

Crimson eyes blinked in surprise. The voices were talking about him? If he paid close enough attention, Atem could tell the voices belonged to Honda and Jounouchi, the nine-year-old sons of two slaves that used to work under his mother, the Queen, who had died not long after Atem's birth, as well as the mothers of the other two children. A sickness had erupted in the kingdom, and no amount of power or magic from the Priests had been able to heal Atem's mother. Or so his father said. Atem didn't remember the woman enough to know any different. Atem could have cried, upset that the older boys were saying such mean things about him, but princes never cried. If he was going to rule Egypt someday, he had to be strong like his father. Pharaohs never cried, and neither would Atem.

"I don't see how you stand to be around him so often, Yugi." Jounouchi was still complaining. "He tugs you around like you're his pet or something. And you let him too!"

"Do you not have a spine, Yugi?" Honda's voice taunted. "Atem's going to boss you around until the day you die unless you start speaking up for yourself."

Now they were making fun of Yugi, and that made Atem more angry and upset than when the two were poking fun at _him. _The furious prince stormed into the room then, startling Jounouchi and Honda, who jumped to their feet hastily, perhaps to make their escape. Yugi, however, remained seated on the floor, staring silently over at Atem with a look of absolute shock on his face. "Yugi does too have a spine!" Atem shouted at the quivering servant boys. "He plays with me because he wants to, not because I make him. And he doesn't have to speak with you dummies unless he wants to!"

"W – We were only kidding, right, Honda?" Jounouchi stammered, elbowing his companion in the side with a bony elbow.

Honda nodded furiously, withering under Atem's furious crimson stare. For a six-year-old, the kid had an extremely intimidating gaze.

Atem shook his head and opened his mouth to yell more – because that was what his father did when he was upset – but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. Yugi had gotten up during the exchange, making his way over to Atem and placing himself between the young prince and the trembling servant children. Atem stared up at Yugi, confused, but the paler, older boy only smiled and took Atem's hand, dragging him from the room without looking back once.

The young royal allowed himself to be dragged down the hall, still silently fuming about the previous exchange, but eventually he forced Yugi to stop, waiting until the eight-year-old turned around to speak to him. "You do like playing with me, don't you?" Atem asked quietly, staring at the ground by Yugi's feet instead of at his face. "Were Honda and Jounouchi right, Yugi?"

Atem waited for Yugi to say something, just as he always did, because he really was curious as to what the other boy's voice sounded like, but Yugi didn't budge. Instead, the slave tapped Atem's nose gently, prompting the prince to look up at him.

Yugi smiled at him again, nodding his head up and down before pausing and then shaking it from side to side. Atem had learned a while ago that Yugi answered questions with gestures such as those, and he always answered them in order.

_Yes, I like playing with you, Atem._

_No, Honda and Jounouchi weren't right._

"Okay." Atem replied, though he wasn't really in the mood to play anymore. "They didn't hurt your feelings, did they?"

Yugi shook his head.

"Good." Atem said firmly, brushing past the taller boy to walk in the other direction, knowing without a doubt that Yugi would follow, just as he always did. "'Cause then I'd have to tell Mai."


	5. Year Six

_Author's Note: _Longest chapter yet! Which is still pretty short, when you think about it, but I'm pretty okay with that. Merry Christmas, and I hope you guys have an awesome day!

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**Year Six**

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"I can't believe you, Mana."

"Oh, please don't be mad at me, Atem!" Mana said urgently, clasping her hands together in front of her chest and fixing the irritated eight-year-old with her most refined, pleading look. "Seto never gets to have a break from his studies. Your uncle always has him working! I thought maybe he would enjoy being with us for the afternoon."

"Seto works all the time because he wants to, Mana." Atem sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and trying not to appear as displeased as he really was, though it was of no use. Mana probably knew him better than anyone aside from Yugi. "And he doesn't enjoy doing anything else except making fun of me."

"He does not make – " Mana began, only to pause at Atem's glance before conceding. "Well, maybe he does a _tiny _bit, but I don't think he means anything by it."

Atem wasn't so sure about that, but he decided not to press that specific issue and instead focused on another one, glancing over his shoulder at their other companion, who was sitting down by the water. "What if Seto makes fun of Yugi?"

Mana blinked, emerald eyes glazing with confusion. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know." And he really didn't. For some reason, not many people took to a liking to Yugi's almost constant presence at Atem's side. Now that the slave was older and more competent at his work, Yugi was given more responsibility when it came to serving Atem, though the prince never asked much of him as of yet. Mana seemed to enjoy having Yugi around, or at least pretended that she did. Mahado sometimes acted quiet and withdrawn whenever the slave was around, but that had been in the beginning, and Atem was noticing his friend warm up to the idea. His cousin, on the other hand, was another story entirely. "I just know he'll do or say something, though."

The blue-eyed son of Atem's uncle, Akhenaden, wasn't much fun to be around, in Atem's opinion. Seto was always so serious and quick to judge, though no one could deny that the young child was smart and intuitive. Atem sometimes wished he had more interest in politics like his cousin, but he knew how to have fun, something Seto always seemed to lack, so it didn't bother Atem as much.

Mana and Atem had decided to go swimming after their morning classes were over, and Atem had dragged Yugi along although the slave had tried to make an escape. The Nile River ran right by the side of the palace, so the Pharaohs of the past had built an area that contained part of the water, calming much of the river's flow. There was a huge set of steps that led back up to the palace from where Atem and Mana stood, all of which extremely steep, and just looking at the distance made Atem's legs start to ache.

"Yugi can take care of himself." Mana said firmly, glancing at the slave as well. She was obviously trying to keep her voice down, but Atem knew for a fact that Yugi could hear them. "Besides, he'll have to get used to it. Not everyone is going to be as nice to him as you, Mahado, and I are."

Atem sighed, rubbing his arms although he wasn't cold. He knew Mana was right. He'd started noticing a while ago how certain people treated the slaves in general, not just Yugi. A visiting noble from one of Egypt's provinces had once yelled at Jounouchi for letting his robes drag on the floor. Another had struck Mai for daring to look him in the eye. No one had said anything, and for that, Atem was frightened and angry. It hadn't been the slaves' fault. Jounouchi had been too short and weak, and Mai had simply been greeting the irate man. Atem didn't understand why they had been treated so harshly, and frankly, he couldn't understand why everyone had allowed it.

"Are you okay, Atem?" Mana asked, forcing all troubling thoughts about the abuse of his family's slaves out of the prince's mind for the time being. "You look kind of sad."

The monarch forced a smile, noticing from the corner of his eye that Yugi had turned his head to look at him, having heard Mana's words. Atem could feel Yugi's eyes studying him, perhaps trying to find the source of his discomfort, and as well as Yugi knew him, Atem knew this was one matter the slave wouldn't be able to fix. "I'm fine." He replied, speaking more to Yugi than Mana. "I'm just tired is all. And everyone knows that being around Seto is my most _favorite _thing to do."

"I didn't know you cared so much, cousin."

Atem could've spit as he and Mana turned to look at the stairs, surprised that Seto could have made it all the way down the steps without either of them noticing. From Yugi's view, he surely had seen the boy coming, but he, of course, couldn't have called a warning. "It's become really hard to contain lately." Atem replied, glaring at Mana when she pinched his bare side. "I'm glad you decided to join us though. You really do need a break from all that studying."

Seto shrugged. "I can't help but agree with you. I don't plan to do any swimming though. I just need a moment to clear my head."

Atem tried to ignore it, really he did, but a flash of sympathy coursed through him. Seto had always been working, studying, for as long as the prince could remember. His father was always telling him to do his best, to exceed everyone's expectations, and while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Atem could see the stress it caused his cousin. They had been close, once, when they were younger and Atem's father had still been able to convince his brother that Seto was still too young to begin training to become a Priest. But once Seto had turned eight, Akhenaden had begun training his son and Atem had little to no contact with him. Now Seto was negative most of the time and had no sense of fun. A part of Atem blamed his uncle for how his cousin had turned out.

That sympathy turned to weariness, however, when Seto spoke again. "Who is that?"

Atem blinked, having forgotten he and Mana hadn't been alone before Seto's arrival, and he turned, noticed how Yugi had gotten to his feet and was facing them, hands clasped together and head bowed in submission. The prince studied him for a moment before sighing, turning back to face his cousin. "That's Yugi, Atem's servant." Mana said brightly, though Atem noticed the hesitation in her voice. "He's going to play with us today."

Seto looked surprised, and the prince realized that, as far as he knew, Yugi and Seto had never met before. The two relatives lived in separate wings of the palace, and with Yugi under Atem's service there never would have been a time for them to come into contact with one another. His cousin and his servant were both ten as of the last harvest season, yet Atem didn't think they had anything else in common, age aside.

He waited for Seto to say something rude, crimson eyes narrowed as he watched his cousin, but the blue-eyed youth only shrugged and said, "He's not my servant. I don't care what you order him to do."

And that was that.

"Come on, Atem." Mana urged, tugging on the stunned prince's arm. "I've been waiting for ages!"

"Alright, Mana, I'm coming." Atem replied, allowing himself to be dragged down to the water's edge, where Yugi was still standing, with Seto following slowly behind them. "Are you going to swim with us, Yugi?" He asked quietly, pausing beside Yugi as Mana began to wade into the water. "It's okay if you don't want to anymore."

Atem knew how cautious Yugi was when others were around – he'd only just gotten comfortable around Mana, after all, and Mahado was still a work in progress. Having never met Seto before and knowing that Atem wasn't particularly fond of him, Yugi was probably hesitant to shed his duties as a slave while Atem's blue-eyed cousin was around. Yugi shook his head, and Atem nodded, following Mana into the water.

The prince was a little apprehensive leaving Seto alone at the water's edge with Yugi, but once Mana started splashing him, he couldn't help but get sucked into the game. "Atem, don't you dare!" Mana screeched as Atem lunged for her, grabbing her shoulders and dunking her under the water.

The young royal laughed as his friend came back up, sputtering water everywhere with a look of malicious intent in her eyes. "Oh, come on, Mana, we're just having fun, right?"

"Oh, I'll show you fun!" Mana cried, kicking her way over to Atem as he tried to escape, placing both her hands on top of his head and forcing him underwater as well.

As Atem was just about to break the surface, he heard a giant splash in the water around them, and when he came back up, glancing over to where Yugi and Seto had been, Yugi was alone. The slave looked irritated, hands clenched tightly at his sides as he glared down at the rippling water below him. Mana and Atem stared, horrified, as Seto appeared in the water, coughing and splashing as if Yugi had just tried to drown him. "What in the name of Ra?" Atem's cousin snarled, whipping his head around to glare up at Yugi. "What did you do that for?"

Mana and Atem glanced at Yugi, then Seto, and then at one another before breaking out into fits of hysterical laughter, swimming back to higher ground when it became nearly impossible to keep their heads above water. "Oh, Seto," Mana giggled, covering her mouth with her hands, "you look like a drowned cat."

"You should see your face, cousin!" Atem cackled, completely unfazed by the piercing ice-blue glare sent his way. "I want a painting of it. Where's Mahado when you need him?"

"Shut up, Atem." Seto snapped. "Aren't you going to punish your slave?"

Atem's laughter ceased at the question. Punish Yugi? He'd never done that before. He didn't even know how. Images of when Mai had been struck entered Atem then, but he pushed them away, refusing. There was no way he could do that to Yugi. When Atem glanced at the amethyst-eyed servant, Yugi's look of irritation had given way to one of fear. Atem felt as if he had been struck.

"Well?" Seto prompted, still standing chest deep in the waters of the Nile.

Mana touched Atem's hand underneath the water, and the prince took a deep breath. "Yugi?" The slave seemed to sigh, holding his head up to look at Atem, the fear having disappeared. "I don't know why you pushed Seto in, but don't do it again, okay?"

Looking just as surprised as Seto, Yugi nodded.

"That's it?" His cousin asked incredulously.

Atem shrugged. "You must have said something to make him push you in. Yugi wouldn't do that just because."

"Yeah, he's sweet." Mana added. "Wouldn't hurt even the smallest bug."

Seto opened his mouth, mostly likely to argue more, but obviously thought better of it, glaring at Yugi instead. "Well, you're in now." Atem said. "You might as well play with us."

The waterlogged Priest snorted but didn't comment, wading closer to Mana and Atem, who could already tell that Seto was plotting his revenge against Yugi. If Atem knew anything about his cousin, it was that he loved a good challenge, and he almost felt bad for Yugi. The slave had unknowingly pulled himself into a game with Seto that could very well last the rest of their lives.

But as the afternoon wore on and Atem noticed how Yugi was watching Seto and Mana splash one another with a smile on his face, he wondered if perhaps Yugi had known what he was doing all along.


	6. Year Ten

**Year Ten**

* * *

"Yugi, do you know where my crown is?"

Fingers still poised with needle and thread in hand, Yugi paused in his mending to glance up and fix Atem with a stern look. Yugi didn't really have to speak for Atem to know what his servant was thinking.

_Now why would I know where _you _put _your _crown?_

"Are you not supposed to help me with these sorts of things?" At twelve years of age, Atem was always busy with meetings and the like, taking a more active role in his father's court in preparation for his own future as Pharaoh. In a few hours he was to attend a meeting with his father about the development of the Pharaoh's future tomb – just the thought left Atem feeling ill – but if Atem couldn't locate his crown, everyone was sure to notice. "It is what servants do, right?"

Yugi sighed, returning to mending in an attempt to repair one of Atem's tunics that had been ruined in a spar against Seto a few days prior. Atem and Seto had been at each other's throats more and more often as they grew, competing against each other in almost everything they did, though Atem usually came out on top in the end. Atem's blue-eyed relative had even tried to take Yugi out from under his service once, but that had been a fight that the monarch had absolutely refused to lose.

Giving up on the crown for the time being, Atem approached Yugi, eyeing the slave's current mending project with curiosity as he sat down in a chair beside him. "Yugi, isn't sewing a woman's job?"

Yugi shrugged, glancing over at Atem in a way that left the prince feeling strangely uncomfortable. It had been happening a lot lately when Yugi looked at him, how his amethyst eyes would shine with emotion that the fourteen-year-old couldn't express verbally. After all these years of trying, Atem still hadn't been able to get Yugi to open his mouth and actually speak for once. It was all the royal wanted now. There was no plausible reason for Yugi's silence – none that any of the royal priests or healers could come up with anyway – and Yugi was entirely unhelpful on the matter.

Clearing his throat, the prince asked, "Where did you learn how?"

Yugi paused, nose scrunching slightly as he thought how to communicate the answer to Atem. Setting down the tunic, needle, and thread, Yugi lifted up his left arm and pointed to the copper bangle that resided on his wrist. The adornment was littered with ruby jewels that closely resembled Atem's eyes, and the prince wondered if Yugi had noticed. "Your . . . bangle taught you how to sew?"

Shaking his head and biting his lip to keep from laughing, Yugi pointed to the bangle again and then placed his right palm over his bare chest, though it didn't have quite the affect on Atem that the slave been hoping for. No, all Atem could really think about was how soft Yugi's skin looked, how unblemished it was, just as it had always been. Yugi had always been lighter in skin color than Atem, taller as well, which irked the prince to no end, and if it weren't for that small fact, the two might have been considered brothers. They had strikingly similar hair styles, though Atem's had more of a reddish tint to his hair compared to Yugi's, whose own locks would turn violet in the correct lighting.

Yugi snapped his fingers, drawing Atem back into the present, and he repeated the action, determined to make Atem understand. "Your bangle – " Atem tried again, but Yugi shook his head, hitting his own chest with more emphasis.

"You are impossible." Atem sighed, to which Yugi smiled in reply. "Your bangle, that bangle," glancing down at his own bejeweled arm, the prince couldn't help but add, " my bangle – "

Yugi tapped Atem's nose, now the universal sign for "correct" as well as to gain Atem's attention. "_My _bangle." Atem tried again, and Yugi nodded. "Well, that's great and all, but that still doesn't tell me who taught you to sew."

Yugi huffed, blowing his blond bangs away from his eyes. After a few more moments, the servant rolled his eyes and cupped his hands in front of his chest, shaking them slightly.

Atem could feel his face heating up. "Breasts? _Oh, _you're talking about Mai! Why didn't you just do that from the beginning?"

Unable to contain it any longer, Yugi began to laugh, doubling over in his wooden chair in an attempt to catch his breath. Despite his embarrassment, Atem couldn't help but smile. Yugi's laugh was rich and light-hearted, and it was what the royal imagined his voice to sound like, if only Yugi would speak. Yugi really only laughed in Atem's presence – or perhaps sometimes in Honda's or Jounouchi's – and Atem felt incredibly blessed whenever he heard it. "_Mai _bangle." Atem said with a slight groan. "Now I understand what you were trying to say. But gods, Yugi, you really stink at that game!"

_How can I stink at a game that _I_ taught to _you_? _Yugi's eyes seemed to say.

"Well, I am the King of Games, after all." Atem proclaimed smugly. "No one has ever been able to best me."

Yugi had by now recovered from his laughter and was about to go back to his sewing when Atem interrupted him once more. "Yugi, when did you start learning under Mai again?" Atem was aware that Yugi had been taught the fundamentals of palace life by Mai when he was younger, but he had been under the impression that Yugi had moved out from under her jurisdiction. Mai was now a servant that mostly dealt with teaching the young girls of the palace how to serve and please men, as well as training the women who danced in his father's court. It was for those reasons that Atem was curious as to what Yugi had been taught. "I mean . . . what else did she teach you, sewing aside?"

Yugi blinked once, twice, and then slowly, a smirk appeared on his face. The amethyst-eyed servant reached up and grabbed the veil that was hanging from the sash on his forehead, something that all the slaves were required to wear but Yugi always took off when in Atem's presence, and placed it over his face so it was covering his mouth and nose just as it should. Atem's eyes widened as Yugi's lowered, fixing the young prince with a sultry stare that the boy had only seen on the palace concubines at his father's parties.

Atem swallowed, uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the squirming that Yugi had awakened in his gut, and when Yugi shifted beside him, the young prince clambered hastily to his feet, trying to keep some distance between them. "Never mind." Atem said, turning around and walking towards his balcony. "Continue with your sewing."

The servant waited until Atem had left to search for his crown in the sitting room adjacent to the main chamber to shift the tunic in his lap, removing the object that had the prince so flustered and tossing the crown onto the prince's bed.

Then Yugi heeded his sovereign's words and continued with his sewing.


	7. Year Thirteen Part I

**Year Thirteen Part I  
**

* * *

Kul Elna.

A long time ago, hearing those words never sparked a certain kind of disgust within Atem's heart. He would not cease what he was doing immediately to pay attention, nor would he regard his father with such an air of uncertainty and distaste. At fifteen, the young royal was more aware of the happenings in his country, though at times, Atem wished he was left in the dark.

A few days ago, Atem had been walking to the throne room with Yugi, and they had overheard Mahado and Isis – one of their best and most resourceful Priestesses – giving Mana her daily lesson. Atem hadn't been concerned and continued on his way, but when he'd heard those words, "Kul Elna," spoken in such quiet and melancholy tones, the prince had become interested right away. Eavesdropping was one of the things that he and Yugi did best, after all. The things Atem had heard disturbed him, terrified him, for how could something like that have gone on without him knowing? He'd continued on for days afterward as if nothing had happened, but Atem was beginning to realize he couldn't just ignore the truth anymore.

Four years ago, when Atem was just eleven, his father had ordered the destruction of a village to the east called Kul Elna. Pharaoh Aknamkanon and High Priest Ahkenaden had collaborated together before deciding to annihilate the village of thieves and criminals before the annual harvest arrived. Atem remembered that harvest, how he, Yugi, Mana, and Mahado spent a lot of time together while the adults took care of preparations for the countless ceremonies that would be taking place. It bothered Atem greatly that while he had been running around, carefree with his friends, an entire village was slaughtered, countless lives taken in a quiet manner that even the Prince of Egypt hadn't known about.

The prince had never doubted his father's judgment, but when it came to this attack, Atem was unsure of where he stood. He understood that criminals needed to be punished for their actions, and in Kul Elna there had been a multitude of those kinds of people, but _killing _them all? What had his father and uncle been thinking? Aknamkanon had never showed interest in these types of things, even when Ahkenaden badgered him night and day with his own opinion on the subject. Why had his father decided to listen when it came to Kul Elna? "What changed?" Atem sighed to himself, leaning on his forearms to look over his balcony and out into the gardens below.

It was times like these that Atem hated being alone, and for a moment, he wished Yugi was with him. The only slave friend the prince possessed was currently with a few of the other servants, helping a visiting noble prepare for his trip home. Atem wished Yugi had not been with him when he'd discovered the truth about Kul Elna, not wanting him to be exposed to that kind of grief. It did not help matters any that Atem – while a whole two years younger than his servant – had always been overly protective of Yugi. It wasn't necessarily appropriate for a master and slave relationship, but Atem could hardly help himself.

Yugi was different, had always been different. He may or may not have taken a vow of silence at some point in his life, but Yugi had never really needed words to communicate with Atem, or anyone else for that matter. Yugi had been there for as long as Atem could remember, always a silent force that the prince could lean on if needed. As they grew older, however, things began to change, and Atem had not failed to notice that Yugi was no longer as casual with him as he had once been. He was quiet, sullen, and spent more time in Honda and Jounouchi's company than Atem's or Mana's. The seventeen-year-old was beginning to act as the slave that he was.

It was more disheartening than Atem would ever admit.

A rustle of cloth behind him caught Atem's attention, and the monarch turned, pressing his back against the stone railing, wishing he could run. Was the weight of his indecisive thoughts apparent on his face? "Yugi." Atem said quietly, relaxing slightly when he took in his servant's calm appearance. Yugi was standing silently in the archway that led out to the balcony, looking at Atem in a manner that suggested he was searching for something. Atem didn't bother to question it. Yugi was just a peculiar man in general. "What are you doing back?"

Yugi smiled ruefully, using his right arm to gesture off into the distance.

"Oh." The noble and his entourage had left already.

It shouldn't have made Atem so upset, for the people of Kul Elna had been dead for many years now, but it still didn't make it any easier. Atem was angry with his father, with his uncle, and with himself for being so weak in the face of war. A Pharaoh had to do what was best for his people. The villagers of Kul Elna . . . had they not been his people as well? And here he was, sitting by with the knowledge of their deaths plaguing his every thought. Atem had yet to confront his father. He doubted he ever would.

The look that Yugi was giving Atem when he looked back at him was filled with sadness, and for some reason, it set the prince off. "Do not look at me like that." The prince snapped. "It matters not what I think about the situation, everything's been over and done with for years. Even if I'd known, nothing I could have said would have stopped them. My father and uncle are set in their ways and nothing I say would change their minds."

Spinning around so he would no longer have to face Yugi's piercing stare, Atem placed his hands on the railing and put all his weight into his palms, glaring angrily at the patch of lotus flowers blooming in the garden below him. Atem could handle the judgment of his father, of Honda and Jounouchi, and even his own cousin, but not Yugi. Never Yugi.

He didn't want Yugi to know that he didn't know what he was doing half the time, that the idea of ruling Egypt on his own someday – of making decisions on whether or not to kill people – terrified him. His uncle had been trying to convince the Pharaoh for years now that Atem would not be fit to rule Egypt for many years to come, and with Aknamkanon getting on in years, he should be the one to rule should his brother pass away, and then pass the throne on to Atem when he deemed the boy ready.

But if Atem couldn't even stomach the thought of annihilating a threat to his people, even if it was the people themselves, would he ever be ready?

Atem froze when he felt a weight against his back, and two, pale limbs snaked their way around him, bracing themselves beside Atem's own hands, keeping him trapped between a sturdy body and the railing. The prince could feel Yugi's warm breath against his neck, the soft feel of his hair on his cheek. Yugi had always been taller, and Atem had always resented it, but now, pressed together as they were, the fifteen-year-old was _oh _so glad he was shorter if it meant he could fit against Yugi like this.

Crimson eyes slowly slipped shut, a sigh of pleasure escaping his lips as Yugi rested his forehead on the back of Atem's neck, pressing closer if that were possible. Atem didn't – _couldn't _bring himself to think about how utterly inappropriate this was, not with Yugi so close. His resolve to order his friend and servant away dissolved into nothing as Yugi pressed his palms to the back of Atem's tan hands, pushing his fingers in-between Atem's and squeezing.

It mattered not that the sun was beating down on them, that Atem could literally feel the sweat gathering on his neck, back, and hands. Yugi had managed to calm Atem down – in a rather bizarre manner – and now Kul Elna was nothing but a distant memory. For the time being, anyway.

"You idiot." Atem muttered, opening his eyes, to which Yugi hummed, obviously content, and shifted slightly to press their heads together so they were cheek to cheek.

Atem could have stayed like that forever.

A furious knock on the door interrupted them, however, and when Yugi's warmth disappeared, Atem's first instinct was to pull him back, but he knew he could not. _Not ever. _

Yugi opened the door, and without even waiting to see if the prince was actually in the room, the newcomer – Mahado – spoke the words that altered the course of Atem and Yugi's careful existence with one another.

"Pharaoh Aknamkanon has died."


	8. Year Thirteen Part II

_Author's Note: _I like this chapter. This one and the one following it are probably my favorites. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Year Thirteen Part II**

* * *

It wasn't until after his father's burial that Atem began to realize just what it was he had with Yugi.

The burial process had gone by in a blur for Atem, who remained in a state of shock and grief over his father's abrupt death, though it never once hindered his abilities to lead his country in his father's absence. He remained strong for the public eye, never once let on that he felt as if he were falling apart on the inside. Yugi, Mana, and Mahado had rarely left the prince alone for the entire week that had gone by since the Pharaoh's death, and while Atem appreciated their concern, he just didn't have much tolerance for the suffocation. So, after his father's ceremony, while everyone else was preoccupied, Atem managed to sneak off for a moment to clear his head.

Atem had heard the voices of servants and priests alike all morning as they searched the palace for him, though no one had had the sense to investigate the garden. The prince had been hiding in a small, clear area among a patch of lotus flowers that he and Yugi had discovered when they were children for a few hours at the least, knees hugged close to his chest as a dozen different thoughts buzzed about inside his head.

His father had always had such a commanding presence in Atem's life, a man of the gods that seemed almost untouchable to his young son. The prince had idolized his father, sought out his approval in everything he did. He'd been a man of the gods, almost immortal in Atem's mind. What had killed him? No one was sure what had caused the Pharaoh's demise, and if someone by chance did, Atem was being left in the dark. If that were the case and Atem found out, there would be hell to pay, of that the prince was certain.

But the prince's anger and uncertainty was completely overrun by his overwhelming feelings of guilt. The last thing Atem had done before finding out about his father's death was question the man's motives behind the attack on Kul Elna. He had doubted his father, if only for a split second before Yugi had distracted him.

Atem had thought about the peculiar encounter with his servant a lot – if his grief gave him a spare moment, that is – and he couldn't fathom why Yugi had done what he had. The two of them were closer than a normal master and servant might be, but that did not mean they were allowed to touch one another so intimately. Yugi had held Atem as a man might hold a woman. For some reason, it didn't bother Atem as much as it should have.

Sighing at his own indecisive thoughts, Atem lowered his knees and began to trace patterns in the dirt underneath him. Alone in the garden, there was nothing around to distract him, and he was falling victim to his own mind. The young royal just wanted to go to sleep at this point, forget about everything for a while, but his duties to his country wouldn't allow him that luxury.

A rustling in the stalks caught Atem's attention, and the prince looked up, eyes wide as a familiar figure pushed its way into the small circle where the flowers did not grow. "Yugi." Atem said slowly, studying his servant carefully as the seventeen-year-old sank down onto the dirt beside him. "What are you – How did you – "

The look in Yugi's expressive eyes was one of pure annoyance, though Atem noticed some relief and concern in them as well. "I did not mean to worry you." The crimson-eyed youth said quietly, continuing to drag his index finger through the dirt. "That was never my intention. I apologize."

Yugi nodded curtly, golden bangs falling in front of his eyes, obscuring them from Atem's view. The two of them sat like that for a long while, the silence of the afternoon hanging between them like a dust cloud. Atem had always been in tune with Yugi's emotions – since they were children it had been so – but at that moment, the prince wished he couldn't understand the other at all. Something was off about the slave. He kept fidgeting beside Atem, tense and anxious for a reason Atem was unaware of. Always the one to ensure that everyone was happy and taken care of, the prince turned to ask his companion if something was bothering him, but then Yugi surged and Atem's mind went blank.

He stayed perfectly still, unresponsive, staring into Yugi's jewel-like eyes in disbelief as the slave forced Atem into his very first kiss. The prince knew he should have pushed Yugi away, should have gotten up and left the garden and continued on with life without his father, but he did not.

Eventually, Yugi pulled away, eyeing Atem carefully as if gauging his reaction. The prince's lips were tingling and warm, parted slightly as he struggled to regain his breath and his composure. Opening and closing his mouth like a fish gasping for air, Atem tried to find the words to question his servant, but the words lost momentum on their way up his throat and came out as a breathless moan on his next exhale.

That seemed to be all Yugi needed.

Sealing their mouths together for a second time, Yugi reached out to grasp Atem's face in a bruising grip, pushing himself up onto his knees and throwing his left leg round Atem's thighs so he was straddling the younger boy. Atem withheld another moan, so utterly confused yet giddy at the same time. All he could do was grasp at Yugi's hands on his face, clutching at them with no intention of ever letting go.

Yugi pulled back again, amethyst eyes swimming with emotion as he parted his lips and breathed, "Atem."

The prince gasped, back arching as he tried to pull away from Yugi's warmth, but the slave followed, pressing harder into Atem if that were possible. The monarch probably would have fallen if Yugi had not been there holding him up. _His voice. _It certainly was not what he had expected. Atem had always thought Yugi's voice would be deeper than his own, what with the age difference, but it sounded just as deep as Atem's, if not a little higher. It was smooth and rich, warm like honey, and Atem hoped this wasn't just a random occurrence.

After thirteen years of silence, Yugi's first word had been Atem's name, and that minor fact struck a chord deep within the prince that he was just beginning to acknowledge.

"Did you know that your first word was my name?" Yugi was speaking so quickly, as if whatever he was trying to communicate could not leave his mouth fast enough. Atem found himself lost in the other's emotions, shaking his head dumbly in response, though he did notice how Yugi's question had been echoing his own thoughts somewhat. "I don't remember much about the time I was first brought here, or much of anything before, but that, Atem, _that _specific moment, I remember. With terrifying clarity. "

Yugi was shaking in his lap, staring down into Atem's eyes with an intensity he had never displayed before. Atem was not used to this. Yugi was always so calm and collected, almost reserved at times. Where had this side of his servant been hiding? The information Yugi had just shared with him was obviously important to the seventeen-year-old. Why was he telling him this now? And more importantly, why had Yugi finally decided to break his silence?

"How long have you desired to share this with me?" Atem asked once he'd finally found his voice, though he wasn't just referring to the information about his first word.

Yugi seemed to understand, thankfully, and he sighed deeply, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to Atem's forehead. "Much too long, my Prince."

Atem stared hard at Yugi's clavicle, pushing past the haze that his servant had put him under in an attempt to sort out his thoughts. He could do one of two things in this situation: Push Yugi away and continue on as if this had never happened, ignoring the undoubted connection between the two of them, or allow . . . whatever _this _was and finally submit to something that he had been fighting for years.

But something had to be addressed before making that decision.

"The lack of words has never been an issue for us," Atem began, slowly raising his gaze to lock eyes with Yugi, "but why have you been silent for so long?"

Unspoken questions hung heavy between the two of them. _Did you resent being sent here? Was that why you refused to talk to us?_

"Like I said," Yugi replied softly, glancing nervously over to the side, teeth biting gently into his lower lip. Atem stared, transfixed, his own mouth copying Yugi's actions. "I don't remember much from the time I was brought here. I may not remember her name, and her face may be distorted to me now, but on the day my parents left me here, my mother told me something. 'Let no one betray you as we are about to do. Trust no one around you, look out for yourself, and keep your heart and mind guarded.'

"I never spoke because I was afraid and I was angry. I didn't know who to trust, and after being abandoned by my parents, I didn't wish to be let down again. I thought if I stayed silent and distanced myself from everyone, I wouldn't become attached and I could someday gain my freedom. Part of me was hoping I would be cast aside or sent back home because of my disability." Upon seeing the stricken look on Atem's face, Yugi offered him a reassuring smile. "After awhile it became natural not to speak, and it was easier just to carry on as I had since the day I was left here.

"You were the first person I ever trusted here, the only one I cared for. Little Prince Atem, who would cling to me before he knew any better, fight for my right to play with him, and come to my rescue if Jou and Honda were being mean, whether that was the case or not. You, who never really treated me like a slave, but more as a friend. I was afraid to let you in, and for that, I am sorry." A triumphant look crossed the older boy's face. "But I realized I am no longer afraid or weary of you."

Atem was dumfounded. He had heard Yugi speak more in just a few short minutes than in the entire thirteen years they had been together. The prince was pleased that Yugi had finally conquered his demons and was now speaking freely with him, but the plight his servant had endured . . . it pained Atem greatly. "I wasn't going to say anything." Yugi commented offhandedly, shifting uncomfortably in Atem's lap and letting his hands drop from his face. "I wasn't going to _do _anything to you, but – I just – I can't _stand_ it when you're put out. You've been so distant and upset all week. I just wanted to make you forget." Atem frowned, reminded of why he was out hiding among the lotuses in the first place, and Yugi jumped to amend his words. "I know you're upset, Atem. Your father was a good man, and he was always so kind to me. I know you well enough to understand that you think you can't do this – rule Egypt – on your own just yet, but you are so much stronger than you think. You've been preparing for this for years. You _are _ready.

"And for what it's worth," Yugi added, tilting his head slightly and gazing down at Atem in such a tender and affectionate way that the younger boy felt light-headed, "I think you'll make a wonderful Pharaoh."

Atem stared, speechless for a few moments, but then shook his head, the answer to his dilemma suddenly right in front of him. It was so clear now. "You know," Atem began, leaning back on his right hand and grasping at Yugi's hip with his left, giving himself better leverage to press up into his servant. The older boy gasped in response; he probably hadn't expected his advances to be welcomed, let alone reciprocated. "For someone who hasn't spoken in thirteen years, your word play is stupendous."

Yugi seemed to purr at that, placing his pale hands on Atem's chest and gently pushing the young royal to the ground, hovering above him with a small smirk on his face. "Well, of course. The Pharaoh of Egypt only deserves the absolute best."


	9. Year Thirteen Part III

_Author's Note: _Ah, lemons. Such wonderful pieces of literature that make everyone super happy. But sometimes I feel as if they ruin a story if not handled correctly, so that's my reasoning behind not putting one in this story. I'm also an awkward turtle who has never written a lemon to be posted, only for my own amusement, so I don't want to attempt one until I'm sure I can manage it. I don't want to write a crappy one and ruin everything. So, yep, those are my reasons.

There will not be a chapter tomorrow, because I will be away from my home for most of the day, and the same thing may happen on Sunday, so don't be surprised if there isn't an update then either. If that happens, updates will resume on Monday.

* * *

**Year Thirteen Part III**

* * *

Now at the head of one of the most prosperous countries in the land, Atem was beginning to realize that running Egypt wasn't as easy as his father had made it seem.

There were always negotiations that needed dealing with, petty peasant squabbles that disrupted the peace, and thieves that needed punishment for their crimes. Atem had always had a rather mild temper, but the calm rationality with which he handled situations with his closest friends wasn't finding its way to council meetings. The newly appointed Pharaoh was beginning to realize how impatient he could be, especially when sitting by while members of his court fought amongst themselves for hours on end. Isis and Mahado could tell when Atem's patience was being tried, and in the beginning, either one of them would suggest a break so Atem could regain his wits. Seto, on the other hand, thought Atem would never learn anything if he was coddled, which usually caused a fight between the Pharaoh and his Priest that Isis would have to break up. Atem knew his cousin was right, however, so he was working on curbing his temper, at least while in the presence of the council.

But all the hardships of the day were worthwhile when Atem knew he could go back to his room – back to Yugi – when everything was taken care of. He wasn't sure what to call Yugi anymore, whether it be servant, friend, consort, or lover, but they were friends above all, and Atem wasn't going to let this new development change that. But the Yugi he was now seeing was slightly different than the one he'd grown up with.

After their encounter in the garden, Yugi hadn't let on to anyone else that something had changed. When Mana had asked them where they'd been hiding, Atem had done all the explaining while Yugi stood behind him obediently, just as he had always done. Atem had wondered if perhaps Yugi's sudden breakthrough had been a one-time thing, but when they were alone once more, Yugi talked almost nonstop until the end of the day. Atem wasn't used to Yugi's cheerfulness, the relaxed manner with which he lounged on Atem's bed, and he most certainly wasn't used to the forward, almost seductive mannerisms Yugi was beginning to use around him.

The day Atem had been looking for his crown couldn't compare to the things Yugi would do at the most random moments, and the Pharaoh had to keep on his toes whenever he was around Yugi nowadays, not knowing what to expect. The amethyst-eyed servant told Atem that Mai had been teaching him, Honda, and Jou how to pleasure someone since they were kids, that she believed it was a skill they would need to survive should they ever come into contact with someone of higher rank or otherwise who lusted after their bodies. Atem had been appalled, infuriated at the notion alone, but Yugi had only laughed and said they were lucky enough to receive such training, that not all servants had the opportunity to learn before it was too late. "And besides," Yugi had once commented offhandedly, scanning Atem's form with a slight smirk on his face, "as the personal slave to an adolescent Pharaoh, I have to be prepared for anything."

Yugi was humorous, blunt, and seemed to act on impulse although Atem knew for a fact that everything Yugi did was planned and calculated thoroughly. You couldn't afford to be rash or hasty when you were at the bottom of the hierarchy. Atem could also tell that he and Yugi were growing even closer now that the speech barrier had fallen. It was nice, and Atem hoped things never changed.

"You know," Atem turned his head, resting his cheek on his folded forearms as Yugi spoke from above him, "this massage won't do any good if you refuse to relax."

"I'm relaxed." Atem snorted in reply, though he was really anything but. He hadn't been able to deter Yugi once he'd returned from his meetings, and the young Pharaoh hadn't had much say in the matter when Yugi forced him onto his stomach on his bed and proceeded to straddle his hips. Atem was acutely aware of every move Yugi made against him, and he couldn't help but tense whenever the servant's oil-covered hands traveled far lower than was necessary. Atem wanted to enjoy it, truly he did, but everything was still new to him, and he wasn't sure how to react. For the first time in his life, Atem was quite comfortable letting Yugi take the lead. For the time being, anyway. "I didn't want you to do this in the first place, though."

"You don't know what you want." Yugi chuckled. "And even if you did, you wouldn't say anything. You're too proud."

"Is it wrong of me to have pride?"

"No, but you need not hesitate to ask me for anything, my Pharaoh. It's my duty to serve you."

"Your duty." Atem echoed before he could stop himself, too lost in the feeling of Yugi's skilled hands kneading his skin to think much about what he was saying.

"Well, I love doing it, of course." Yugi said, and Atem felt his servant's hands press more firmly into the muscles on his shoulders. The Pharaoh almost jumped when Yugi's voice sounded right next to his ear. "It's very rewarding for the two of us. Wouldn't you agree?"

Atem groaned, suddenly realizing that Yugi was in one of his moods again. This was going to be a long night. "Where have you been hiding all this sexual prowess all these years?"

"Deep within my mind, along with my voice." Yugi laughed, pushing himself back up and continuing with his administrations. "I had no use for either of them until just recently, as you may recall."

Yugi did something to Atem's lower back then, and the young man couldn't contain the moan that escaped him. He didn't have to see Yugi's smirk to know it was there. It was in his voice. "You like that, huh? I appreciate you telling me I'm doing something right."

"I like every moment of this, make no mistake." Atem replied, unfolding his right arm from underneath his left one to stretch it out across the bedding, allowing his fingers to dangle over the edge and his eyes to slip shut. "Don't be surprised if I fall asleep on you though."

"If you're tired, you should rest." Yugi said, smoothing his palms over Atem's shoulder blades. "There's no point in running yourself ragged, my Pharaoh."

Atem opened his eyes, staring at his golden wristbands for a moment before speaking. "Why do you keep calling me that? The only time I ever heard you say my name was in the garden."

Yugi paused for a moment, during which Atem could feel the weight of his friend's stare on his back, and when he began the massage again, Atem noticed how much softer his touch was. Yugi was nervous. "It's just out of habit, I suppose." Yugi murmured. "I was taught growing up to never address royalty by his or her given name unless I was given permission to, and even then I was not to do so often. I said your name in the garden because . . . well, because your first word was my name, and I thought – I don't know – "

Atem blinked, processing what little words Yugi had said that weren't interrupted by his stuttering or hesitation, and when realization dawned, Atem's crimson orbs widened. Drawing his arm back to his side, Atem pushed himself up on his elbows and turned to glance over his shoulder at Yugi, who was looking anywhere but him. Yugi's obvious embarrassment made Atem feel all the more touched, and the Pharaoh couldn't help but smile. "Yugi – "

The door to Atem's chamber burst open then, and Yugi barely managed to push Atem back down and continue with the massage before Mana fully entered the room. "Atem, you're needed in the – " Atem heard Mana begin before pausing, the sound of her footsteps ceasing. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was interrupting something."

"Learn to knock, Mana." Atem said, burying his face in his arms as Mana and Yugi began to giggle. _Traitor. _"Your impulsiveness may get you into trouble someday."

"Well, it's working for me so far." Mana responded. "I really am sorry for barging in, but the Priests have requested a meeting with you, Atem."

"May I ask what for?" Atem asked as Yugi climbed off him, pushing himself off the bed and making a move to grab his tunic and crown. "I thought we had finished for the day."

Mana watched quietly as Atem prepared to accompany her to the throne room, looking so forlorn for a moment that the Pharaoh began to feel worried. "There's something Siamun and Akhenaden wish to discuss with you."

Atem glanced at Yugi, who was busying himself with Atem's violet cape, but the crimson-eyed youth knew Yugi was thinking the same thing as him. Siamun was – had been – his father's most trusted confident, and if he and Atem's uncle wished to discuss something with him, then it must have been important. "Wait for me here." Atem said to Yugi once the servant had finished putting his cape on. "I'll be right back."

Yugi nodded, and the last thing Atem saw before Mana closed the door was that look of apprehension on Yugi's face.

Mana and Atem walked side by side down the corridors, though the Pharaoh found himself falling behind some of the time when he failed to keep up with the brisk pace the Priestess had set. He expected her to comment on the compromising situation she had caught him in with Yugi, but she was being uncharacteristically silent. Something was bothering her, and that alone made Atem nervous as to what was to come. "Ah, Pharaoh Atem," Akhenaden greeted once Atem and Mana entered the throne room. Atem scanned the room, noting that Mahado, Seto, and Isis were present along with Siamun and his uncle. "I'm glad you decided to join us."

"I was preparing for bed when Mana summoned me." Atem replied, ignoring the amused glint in Mana's emerald eyes. "I'm assuming this is an important matter if it could not wait until morning."

Siamun nodded, beckoning Atem forward as Mana scurried away to stand beside Mahado, her mentor. Atem had found it odd that Siamun had chosen Mahado to train Mana since they were close friends, but it made sense when you took Mana's personality into account. He and Mahado were the only ones aside from Yugi that could handle Mana when she became too energetic. Mahado would keep the young Priestess under control throughout her apprenticeship. "Tell me, Atem, do you sense something odd about this room?"

Atem frowned at the old Priest, bewildered. They'd called him down at this hour to ask him if the throne room felt _odd? _There had to be a point though, so Atem cleared his mind and focused. "The air feels heavy." He said eventually, uneasy with the oppressing weight he was sensing around him. Atem didn't know that much about magic yet, but he had been exposed to it before, when the Priests tried to discern the reason for Yugi's silence. He recognized that anxious feeling. "I don't really know how to describe it, Siamun."

The Priest nodded, looking satisfied with Atem's answer, and then moved his cloak aside, revealing a gold adornment hanging from a thin rope around the old man's neck that looked like an ankh to Atem. The Pharaoh stared, transfixed, somehow able to tell that the strange necklace was the source of the unease in the air. "What is that?"

"It is called the Millennium Ankh, my Pharaoh." Mahado answered for Siamun, refusing to meet Atem's eyes as he looked at his friend. "It has the power to look into a person's soul."

"A person's soul? How?" Atem demanded.

"This item is fused with black magic, and its sole purpose is to serve the Pharaoh and keep Egypt safe. The power it received was the ability to unlock the doors to a person's soul and determine if they are friend or foe." Siamun explained. "There are six like it, my Pharaoh, and each of your Priests possesses one."

Atem's attention shifted to Isis, who was reaching into the front of her dress to pull out a necklace made of the same gold the Millennium Ankh was. "The Millennium Tauk was given to me to wield." She said quietly. "It allows me to see into the past and future."

And all around Atem, every person present aside from Mana began to reveal his or her own Items to him. Mahado had the Millennium Ring, which guided him to anything he wished to find without error. Seto was in possession of the Millennium Rod, which allowed him to manipulate a person's will, forcing them to do whatever Seto saw fit, as well as communicate with a person through telepathy. Atem wasn't sure whose idea it had been to give his cousin such a power, but as long as Seto didn't abuse it, the young Pharaoh wouldn't put up a fuss. The Millennium Scale, which belonged to a Priest named Karim, who Atem had not seen often growing up nor did he know why the man wasn't present, and the Scale could weigh a person's sin against the feather of Ma'at, which represented the good deeds a person had done in his or her life, determining whether or not their very being was righteous and good.

Atem said nothing throughout the entire ordeal, silently taking note of the powerful Items that his Priests now possessed, assessing their personalities to determine if that kind of power was safe in their hands, but aside from his brief concern about Seto, there was nothing to question. He trusted his Priests thoroughly, and he knew none of them would abuse the power being entrusted to them. His uncle stepped forward then, the only one left who hadn't revealed his Item to Atem, and when the man pulled back the hood of his cloak, Atem had to withhold a strangled shout. Akhenaden's entire left eye was gone, and in its place was an eye of solid gold.

"The Eye gives me the power to manipulate what a person sees. That is why you never noticed anything was different about me, Atem. I apologize for deceiving you." Akhenaden explained. The Millennium Eye also gave his uncle the power to read a person's mind and see what was happening around them through that person's eyes.

"How long have you had these Items?" Atem demanded, morphing his tone to make it abundantly clear that he expected an honest answer. Mana looked nervous beside Mahado, probably having expected her friend's anger at being deceived. She and Mahado knew that when Atem spoke like that, there was absolutely no room for disobedience. "Why was I not informed of their existence until now?"

"They've been in our possession for a while now, my Pharaoh." Seto responded, crossing his arms over his chest with the Rod still clenched tightly in his hand. "Your father was the one that cautioned us against telling you of the Item's existence."

"My father?"

"He did not want to burden you with the knowledge that such items existed." Isis said. "Aknamkanon wished to wait until you were older to tell you."

"His desire was to wait until you'd turned sixteen." Mahado added. "But after his passing, we decided to tell you sooner than that."

Atem clenched his jaw, still annoyed that something so big had been hidden from him, apparently for quite some time as well. Had his father thought he couldn't handle it? It didn't add up, however. If the Millennium Items had been created to serve the throne, then why would Atem find fault with them? "You said there were seven." Atem said eventually. "You only mentioned six."

"Ah, yes." Akhenaden turned, walking up the steps to the throne and grabbing a blue, silk pillow that had been sitting on the chair. "The last Item belonged to your father, Atem. He made it abundantly clear that should anything happen to him, the Millennium Pendant was to be passed on to you."

Atem watched, mystified and extremely nervous, as his uncle approached him once again, offering him the pillow upon which the Pendant sat. The Pharaoh regarded the golden artifact cautiously, studied the eye resting in the center that resembled the one on the Millennium Rod, Eye, and Tauk. The Pendant resembled an upturned pyramid, and Atem was almost afraid to reach out and take it. "What does it do?" He questioned.

"The power of the Pendant depends on the owner." Seto said, ignoring the looks that Mahado, Mana, and Isis sent his way. "It will judge you, Atem, and the power you gain rests on the Item's perception of you."

"The Pendant will also protect you from harm." Siamun explained, coming up to stand beside Akhenaden. Atem could tell the old man was watching his reaction carefully. "Granted, you can still be killed from internal and external forces, like if you fall ill or someone tries to poison something you eat, but physical harm will be hard to come by as long as you wear the Pendant."

Atem glanced over at Seto. "What happens if the Pendant does not see me as a worthy owner?"

Siamun smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling at the force behind it. "I assure you that will not happen."

The young Pharaoh was still torn between denying the Pendant for the time being or appeasing his Priests by accepting it, but then he remembered Yugi was waiting for him. Pushing his nervousness and hesitance to the back of his mind, Atem reached out and took the Pendant from his uncle, cradling the pyramid in one hand and holding on to the leather strap it was attached to in the other. For a reason Atem could not place, just looking at the Pendant made him uneasy. Something was off about it, about all the Millennium Items. It seemed as if he was the only one that felt that way.

Remembering his uncle's power to read minds, Atem refocused his thoughts and slipped the leather strap over his head. As soon as the golden artifact had settled against his chest, a blinding light began to emit from it, and Atem felt Siamun and Akhenaden back away from him, trying to escape from the harsh quality of the Pendant's light. It was gone as soon as it appeared, however, and Atem was left standing with the back of one hand pressed against his eyes, blinking away the white spots in his vision as his Priests stared at him.

"What was that?" Mana whispered, glancing up at Mahado in shock.

Mahado glanced at Isis, who shook her head in response. She didn't know what had caused the light either. "Well, I would say the Pendant has accepted you, Pharaoh Atem." Siamun said warmly. "There was no need to doubt it."

"That never happened when Aknamkanon wore the Pendant." Seto stated, studying the golden pyramid hanging from Atem's neck with an air of curiosity.

"Furthermore, the Pendant will aid you in your study about black magic." Akhenaden said, ignoring his son as if the boy hadn't spoken.

Atem's interest spiked considerably, and he pushed past the cloud of fatigue that had overcome him after the Pendant's odd reaction to his presence. "I'm going to study black magic? May I ask why?"

"It is for protection purposes, Pharaoh Atem." Isis said, reaching up to touch the eye that was engraved on the Millennium Tauk. "Our powers may not be enough to protect you should something happen, or if we're not around. You are exceptionally skilled with a sword, but there may come a time when you face an opponent that cannot be fazed by even the most efficient of blades."

To Atem, Isis wasn't making much sense. An opponent that couldn't be handled with a sword? In what situation would Atem possibly need black magic to protect himself? The young Pharaoh was well aware that many frowned upon the practice of such things. Some said black magic was evil, that those who performed it were demons in the mortal plain sent by Apep himself. His Priests surely knew this, so why would they make Atem, the son of the gods, practice black magic?

"The more skilled you are in black magic," Isis continued, dark, sapphire eyes burning with something Atem could not identify, "the better chance you have of being able to control the Darkness."

"The Darkness?" Atem echoed. "What does that mean?"

"You will learn everything in due time, Atem." Akhenaden said quickly, stepping forward to place a hand on Atem's shoulder. "I think it best if you return to your chambers for the night. I'd assume this is a lot to take in."

"It is." Atem agreed, not bothering to object. Exhaustion was beginning to weigh heavily on him, and what young Pharaoh really wanted at the moment was the warmth of Yugi's body next to his. "I appreciate you all explaining the Items to me, and for giving me the Pendant."

"Farewell, Pharaoh Atem." Siamun called as Atem turned, violet cape billowing behind him as he quickly took his leave. "I know you'll be able to master the powers bestowed upon you."

When Atem returned to his room, Yugi was still there – not that Atem had been expecting any different – sitting on Atem's bed and staring out towards the balcony with a forlorn expression on his face. His head snapped around when Atem entered the room, a small smile crossing his face as he made a move to stand. But when Atem turned to face his servant fully, Yugi froze, amethyst-colored eyes fixated firmly on the Pendant hanging from Atem's neck. "It was my father's." Atem explained tiredly, cradling the pyramid in one hand as he gazed down at it. "He wanted me to have it after his passing. Siamun said it was meant to protect me and that it would help me control 'the Darkness,' whatever that is, once I complete my training."

The Pharaoh glanced up at Yugi, intent on asking for help in preparing for bed, but the expression on Yugi's face stopped him. It was one of absolute shock, and Yugi was so taken by it he didn't even notice when Atem moved closer. "Yugi?" He asked urgently, reaching up to touch Yugi's cheek. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Yugi blinked, the raw, unguarded emotions leaving his face almost as quickly as they had appeared. "Nothing's wrong, Atem. I'm sorry, I just – It startled me, I've never seen anything like that necklace before."

"I hadn't either." Atem said slowly, still unsure if Yugi was telling him the truth or not, but he decided to let it go for now. Yugi would tell him if something was wrong, of that he was certain. "I think I'll heed your advice and get some sleep. I'm beginning to realize how exhausted I really am."

"I told you." Yugi scolded, reverting back to his usual, fretful self in a heartbeat. "If you'd been asleep maybe I could've persuaded Mana to wait until morning to give you that necklace."

Yugi started to turn away, but Atem pulled him back with the hand that was still on his cheek, coaxing the older boy's head down for a soft, slow kiss. "What was that for?" Yugi breathed once Atem had pulled away, letting his hand drop from Yugi's pale face.

"I meant to do it earlier, before Mana came." Atem replied, forgetting about the weight of the Pendant on his chest completely as he and Yugi gazed at one another. "It was for making my name your first word. For just being here." Atem paused slightly before adding, "And I did it just because I can."

Yugi stared down at him, baffled and slightly pleased at Atem's words. "You shouldn't toss that phrase around so lightly, Atem. If you do, 'Just because I can' will soon find its way into my own repertoire, and then you'll never be able to escape this."

Atem smirked and nodded. That sounded just fine to him.


	10. Year Thirteen Part IV

_Author's Note: _Well, I'm back and ready to finish the story! It's almost over, and I guess this is where most of the cute stuff ends. Time for the tragedy genre to start taking effect. Enjoy the last day of 2012!

* * *

**Year Thirteen Part IV**

* * *

"Jou, get over it. Mai's never going to fall in love with you, so you should just let it go."

"Hey, nothing's impossible!" Jounouchi said indignantly, glaring up at Honda as he continued to scrub down the floors. "Mai said I had to grow up a little, that's all."

Honda snorted. "She said that yesterday, and at eighteen how much more 'growing up' can you do? Mai's nine years older than you, my friend, and let's face it, there are plenty of men around here that are her age and are way more mature than you'll ever be."

"Ugh, can you believe this guy, Yug'? And he says he's my friend." Jounouchi grumbled, glancing over his shoulder at the amethyst-eyed mute who had finally decided to grace the pair with his presence. Jounouchi hadn't failed to notice how Yugi was spending more and more time away from their quarters lately, and if he did come back, it was always late at night when everyone else was asleep. The blond also noticed how tired his fellow servant seemed to be as of late, but to be honest, he'd never seen the guy happier. He didn't understand why, but Yugi had always been peculiar, so Jounouchi wasn't going to dwell on it for long.

Yugi glanced up, fixing Jounouchi with an amused look before returning to his scrubbing, shaking his head. The three of them were cleaning the floors after the group of palace slaves that were aiding in field work for the time being decided to enter the palace through one of the main hallways. After seeing how much dirt and mud had been left behind, Mai had asked the three of them to take care of it before anyone noticed and the group got into trouble. After all she had done for them since they were small children, none of them could possibly deny Mai anything. "See, Yugi agrees with me." Honda proclaimed, to which Jounouchi flicked his wet, soiled cloth at him, showering the brunet with the dirtied water. "You're just a lovesick fool is all. We'll find you a girl eventually, right, Yugi?"

The slave nodded without looking up, but Jounouchi heard the chuckle that he tried to cover up. "You guys are bastards." Jounouchi growled, but the affection in his voice told his companions that he didn't mean anything by it. But there had once been a time wen those words would have been accompanied by a fist to the face.

Jounouchi had been born into slavery, just as Honda had. It wasn't much of a life, and for a long while, Jounouchi had been bitter about it. Everything about his life was dictated, like when he woke up and went to sleep, what he ate for his daily meals and even what he did in his spare time. A slave didn't have much of a will, instead following his or her master's orders blindly because that was expected of them. It was their job. Both of their mothers had died when they were toddlers, leaving them in the care of older, more experienced slaves, some of which only concerned with their own well being. Jounouchi and Honda had decided that if they couldn't stand up to the royal family or other nobles, then they would instead turn to their fellow slaves.

The blond remembered how satisfying it felt to make someone cry, to have a tiny bit of control in a life that wasn't really his own. Maybe he had felt remorse for his actions at some point, but if he had, he certainly didn't remember. He and Honda only had each other growing up, and for a long time it was all they really needed. The two of them were a team, and so long as they had each other, it didn't matter if the slaves their age despised them and the older ones thought them to be a nuisance. Honda and Jounouchi were content with their life, but then the two of them received a harsh blow to make them realize just what they were doing.

There came a day when a new slave showed up, and just like the others, he hadn't been able to avoid being tormented by the notorious troublemakers. Jounouchi recalled finding Yugi odd for never speaking, and with a disability like that, he was an easy target. Jounouchi had resented Yugi because he hadn't been born into such a life of misery. He'd tasted freedom, had lived in it for four years, which was more than they ever would, and they'd tormented him because of that. But unlike the other children, Yugi didn't cry when they made fun of him. He wouldn't get upset, wouldn't yell, and wouldn't even remove himself from the situation until Jounouchi and Honda gave up. It wasn't until Yugi came along that Jounouchi began to feel guilty. The other slave was a year younger than the two of them, weaker and more vulnerable in the lifestyle that had been forced upon him, and when Jounouchi began to realize that, he felt lower than the vilest of criminals for what he had been doing, for tormenting a child that wouldn't fight back no matter what they did to him. All three of them had been friends for years now, and Jounouchi still wondered how Yugi had kept up his smile all those years ago after all they'd done to him.

"Speaking of men without a woman on their arm," Honda quipped up after a few minutes of comfortable silence, "when do you think the Pharaoh's gonna settle down?"

"Atem?" Jounouchi wondered, pausing in his cleaning as Yugi did the same. "Honda, why are you thinking about his love life?"

The brunet shrugged, sitting back and placing his dirtied rag into his bucket of water. "I usually don't, but it occurred to me the other day that someday he's going to have to produce an heir to the throne unless he wants that bastard cousin of his to take over, and so far, he's never showed interest in anyone."

Jounouchi paused, considering his friend's words. He'd grown up hating Pharaoh Atem, but after all these years under his service, the blond had realized the guy wasn't that bad. He'd never treated them all unfairly, never raised a voice or hand to any of them in his life. The slave remembered hearing that Yugi had once pushed Priest Seto into the river in the presence of the Pharaoh and one of his Priestesses – Mana, if Jounouchi remembered correctly – and Atem hadn't done anything except give Yugi a halfhearted warning. The slaves were aware that Yugi could have been severely punished for what he had done, and the fact that Atem hadn't done that earned the respect of a good deal of the slaves, Jounouchi, Honda, and Mai included. Jounouchi was grateful for what Atem had done – Honda was as well even though he'd never say so – but they were far from friends.

Yugi, on the other hand, was the monarch's personal slave and spent more time with him than anyone other than his Priests, and it was obvious to everyone that Atem cared for Yugi and vice versa. If his friend had been able to speak, Jounouchi would've inquired about the Pharaoh's personal life, but that wasn't the case, so he would have to make do with the rumors passed from slave to slave. "You know, you're right." Jounouchi said eventually, glancing at Yugi, who was still resting on his knees, watching the two of them with an unreadable expression on his face. "Atem's never showed any interest in girls."

"What about that Priestess of his?"

"Mana? No, I think they're just friends."

"Remember that girl from Sinai that attended the ceremony on Atem's thirteenth birthday? Princess Viv-something? She was all over him all night. Gave Mai and her dancers a real runaround."

Jounouchi sniggered under his breath. "Yeah, I remember her all too well. Acted more like a concubine than royalty. I wouldn't be surprised if he had sex with her that night. Royalty like that never hesitate to get some; they take whatever chance they get. Maybe they've been having secret rendezvous this whole time! I bet he got that fancy, new necklace from her as a gift or something. I, on the other hand, want to wait until I get a hold of that special someone."

"Jou, for the last time, there is no way Mai is going to settle for you."

"_Settle? _Any woman would be lucky to – "

Jounouchi broke off with a yelp of surprise as he was doused in lukewarm river-water, and while he received the bulk of it, Honda didn't escape the sudden attack either. After rubbing at his eyes furiously with the palms of his hands while Honda snapped obscenities, Jounouchi turned to glare at whoever had dumped water on him, only to come face to face with Yugi. His friend was standing over him, one hand clenched tightly over the rim of the bucket while the other rested firmly on his hip. "What the heck did you do that for, Yug'?" The soaked blond snapped, if only to hide his confusion. This was the first time he'd seen the amethyst-eyed slave look even remotely angry.

"Don't talk about things you know absolutely nothing about." Yugi surprised the both of them by speaking, the depth of his irritation evident in his voice. For all Jounouchi knew, that could really be what his voice sounded like since he'd never heard Yugi speak before, but he knew better. Yugi's natural voice couldn't be that cold.

Honda looked just as confused and surprised as Jounouchi felt, and Yugi rolled his eyes before turning to walk away, presumably to get more water now that he'd wasted what he'd had left. "Well, that was random." Honda exclaimed once Yugi was out of hearing range, though Jounouchi was still watching his friend's figure become continuously smaller the further away he walked. "Now we have to clean this up as well. What's his deal? And better yet, why is he suddenly talking?"

"I don't know." Jounouchi replied. He didn't know a lot about what had just happened, why Yugi had dumped water on them, why he'd started speaking after years upon years of silence, or why he had looked so angry. The slave couldn't fathom what they'd said to elicit such a reaction from the normally docile Yugi. He couldn't have gotten so worked up over what Jounouchi had said about Mai, so it must've been when they mentioned Atem. But why would Yugi get so upset about it? It didn't make sense.

And while Jounouchi may not have understood, that didn't stop him from feeling guilty that he had been the cause of his friend's uncharacteristic outburst.

* * *

_A.N. _Yugi likes to punish people by making them wet. Yes, I am aware of how terrible that may sound, and no, he did not soak them just because they were talking about his devastatingly handsome lover.


	11. Year Fifteen Part I

**Year Fifteen Part I**

* * *

"Atem? Are you in here?"

Mana received no answer, and the seventeen-year-old sighed, moving further into her sovereign's chamber in case he was out on the balcony and couldn't hear her call.

The young Priestess had spent the better part of her afternoon looking for Atem, for they'd made plans to go horseback riding before the sun rose too high in the sky, but he had never showed up. She and Mahado had waited for a long time before giving up, but Mana was definitely going to give her friend an earful for not keeping his word. Truthfully, she was a little worried about him.

As time went on, Atem was becoming increasingly busy with his duties, but he always made time for his childhood friends, and when Atem made a promise, he always kept it. But maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised. Her friend had been changing lately, becoming much more quiet, more cold and calculating like Seto. He didn't smile as much, and coaxing a laugh from him was nearly impossible; Yugi was the only one who could manage it, though sometimes it took a lot of work.

Mana was afraid and worried, because it had all started when Atem received the Millennium Pendant when he was fifteen, when he'd started messing with black magic.

Pharaoh Atem was a proud man and extremely smart and capable for a seventeen-year-old. If he was getting in over his head, if he had been exposed to or unleashed something that he couldn't handle, there was no way he would come to them for help. For all Mana knew, Atem could be in the clutches of some demon that came along with the Millennium Pendant! She knew she was overreacting, but she desperately needed a reason for her friend's sudden change. There had to be one. No one changed that much over nothing.

Finding that neither Atem nor Yugi seemed to be in the area, Mana decided that continuing her search was useless. Maybe Atem was doing something important, held up in some meeting that needed his attention more than his friends did. Mana understood that completely, but it didn't lessen the ache in her chest when she reflected on their childhood and realized how much had changed since then.

Just as Mana was turning to leave, the door opened and then closed, and the girl smiled, figuring it was Atem, but upon turning around, she realized it wasn't. "Yugi?" She gasped, hands rising to her mouth when she took in her friend's sorry state. Blood was pouring from the servant's nose, dripping onto the back of the hand that Yugi had pressed against it. There was a large, angry, red mark on the side of his face that was beginning to swell, and his clothing was ripped and stained with the red substance dripping from his nose and – as Mana had just noticed – a cut above his eyebrow that was steadily dripping down his face. "What in the name of Ra happened to you?"

Yugi jumped, startled by Mana's presence, wincing in obvious pain. "I – It's nothing, Mana, really. It's not at bad as it looks."

"You look like you've been beaten by a bunch of outlaws." The young woman said, rushing to Yugi's side to grab his hand and pull him gently into the room. "Here, let me help you. Oh, Yugi, Atem's going to have a _fit_ when he sees you!"

The look on the servant's face told Mana that he was aware of how outraged Atem was going to be when he found out what had happened to him, and she sent up a silent prayer for whoever had done this to Yugi. Atem was not going to show any mercy. "Here, sit." Mana ordered, guiding Yugi to sit down on Atem's bed although he tried to protest. "Don't worry, Atem's been missing all day. I'll have Jounouchi change the bedding once I'm through with you."

"If you say so." Yugi mumbled, and for the first time, Mana noticed the nasal quality of his voice. She hoped his nose wasn't broken.

Sweeping through the room in search of a bowl of water and a few rags to clean Yugi off with, Mana kept her ever-watchful gaze on Yugi. The servant was staring down at the ground dully, eyes glazed over with pain and remembrance, probably reliving whatever experience he had just survived. Mana couldn't fathom who would dare do this to the personal slave of the Pharaoh, or just to Yugi in general. The man was quiet and always did as he was told, and he was one of the nicest people Mana had ever met. _Whoever did this to him is a truly wicked human being. _

Yugi looked up as Mana returned, setting down the bowl of water and the rags before sitting beside Yugi on the bed. "Let me see." Mana said gently but firmly, grabbing Yugi's wrist and tugging, moving the hand that was still held to his face so she could inspect the damage done to his face. Yugi's nose didn't look abnormal aside from the obvious swelling, and while she was certain it was broken, it hadn't been moved into a different formation. She noticed that Yugi's bottom lip was split along with the cut along his eyebrow, and she sighed, making a move to grab one of the rags. "Who did this to you, Yugi?"

The servant didn't respond, clenching his bloodied fists tightly at his sides as Mana tilted his head up slightly to help stop the flow of blood, raising the wet rag up to dab gently at the cut above his eye. "Was it another servant?" Mana continued to press, unwilling to let the matter drop. "One of the palace guards?" A thought struck her then, one that she hadn't thought of before, and while the notion alone made her feel ill, she had to be sure. "Did – Did_ Atem_ do this to you?"

Yugi jerked away from her then, amethyst eyes widening in horror at the mere suggestion. "_What? _No, of course not. Atem would never! It – It was Akhenaden."

Mana gasped, pressing a little too hard on the gash, eliciting a hiss of pain from Yugi. After she'd offered her apology, she began to press, just to make sure she'd heard him correctly. "_High Priest _Akhenaden? Atem's uncle?" When Yugi nodded, she demanded, "But why? What were you doing that made him hurt you like this? Why were you even with him?"

It was true that Atem's uncle had never showed much interest in Yugi. He'd never asked for his services, never even wondered over his well being as Atem's father once had. What reason did he have for being around Yugi, and why had he beaten him so badly? "He and Priest Seto wanted to sit out by the river, where we used to swim when we were children, and on their way out, they passed Jounouchi and me. We were on our way to see Mai, but Akhenaden told us to accompany them to the river and aid them with whatever they needed. Jou tended to Seto, and I took care of Akhenaden.

"I – I don't really know what happened, Mana. I was standing beside Akhenaden's chair when he struck me the first time. I was shocked and didn't know what I had done wrong, but he just kept coming. He said I was filth, a disgusting, incompetent creature that didn't deserve the kindness that had been shown to me since the day I was brought here. I think Jounouchi tried to stop him, but Seto held him back. I'm glad he did too – Jou acts on impulse and doesn't think about the consequences. Akhenaden probably would've beaten him as well if it weren't for Seto."

Mana stared, jaw agape, as Yugi recounted his traumatic experience. She had always known High Priest Akhenaden wasn't the nicest of men, but for him to do and say those things to Yugi . . . it was unthinkable. "Seto managed to talk him down eventually, and Jou helped me back up to the palace once they had left. I told Jou to leave me be while I took care of my wounds, and he let me walk here on my own after a lot of persuasion." Yugi's voice softened then, staring down at Mana with eyes glazed with pain and gratitude. "I'm glad you were here. Treating ones own wounds is harder than it looks."

"I cannot believe he did that to you, Yugi." Mana whispered. If what Yugi was saying was true, there had been no reason behind his beating. Akhenaden had attacked him at random. _But why? _"He shouldn't have, you didn't deserve it."

"He shouldn't have, but he'll still get away with it." Yugi replied sullenly, looking so defeated for a moment that Mana felt even more sorry for him than before. "I'm worth nothing compared to you, Akhenaden, or Atem. My injuries are nothing but a scratch against the giant system that is Egypt."

"You're _not _worth nothing." Mana said, shocked that Yugi would even say that. Apparently Atem wasn't the only one who had changed since their childhood. "You mean so much more to us than you think. Atem wouldn't know what to do with himself if something happened to you."

Yugi's eyes flashed at her words, and his lips twitched as if he wanted to smile, though he held it back so as not to cause himself more pain. "It's refreshing to know that people like you still exist, Mana."

"People like me?"

"Optimists. They're hard to come by nowadays."

"Don't say such things." Mana murmured, moving on to the cut on Yugi's bottom lip. The cloth was almost completely soiled with blood at this point, and she knew she'd have to change to a different one soon. "But I mean it, Yugi. Sometimes I think your love is the only thing that keeps Atem from losing himself when things get too hard for him."

Mana knew that Atem and Yugi's association with one another went far beyond the lines of friendship, had known that even before the two knew it themselves. There had always been something there, a bond that went far beyond anyone's understanding. Her suspicions had been confirmed two years ago when she'd walked in on Yugi giving Atem an extremely sensual massage on the night Atem had been given the Pendant. It had taken an entire year before Atem had told her about it, however, and while she'd been annoyed, she'd been elated on their behalf. She still was to this very day, and Yugi would never know how grateful she was to him for everything he had done for Atem since the day he had been brought to the palace.

"Atem's stronger than that." Yugi said firmly, though to the Priestess, it sounded like he was talking more to himself than to her. "I may have to knock some sense into that thick skull of his every once in a while, but he's confident enough to find his own way."

Mana nodded, for she understood that, but did Yugi really not know how much of an effect he had on the Pharaoh? Atem was a person that thrived on loving and being loved, and if he didn't have something he cared about, he didn't have much of a drive. His love for his country kept him sane and made all the effort he put into running it seem worthwhile, and his love for the people within that country urged him on in everything he did. Yugi was the center of that drive, and Mana didn't want to think about what might happen if he were to suddenly disappear.

"I think you're cleaned up enough for the time being." Mana said when she'd cleaned all the visible blood from Yugi's face. The steady flow of blood from his nose had stopped during their conversation, and while his face was still badly bruised, Yugi looked far better than he had when he'd come stumbling into the room.

"Thank you, Mana." Yugi said sincerely, not daring enough to attempt a smile, but his eyes said it all. "I appreciate your help."

"Don't thank me." Mana said. "I was going down to the river but decided against it and came here instead. Maybe I could've stopped Akhenaden before he did too much damage if I'd gone down there."

Yugi frowned, and a stream of crimson slowly fell from his left nostril. Mana reached up to wipe his face clean once more, but she paused when something wet landed on her hand. But it wasn't red, it was clear – a teardrop. Startled, Mana glanced up to find that Yugi was staring down at her, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. Never in her life had Mana ever seen Yugi cry. "Yugi, what's wrong?" She asked.

Her friend blinked and a barrier seemed to break within him. Yugi's calm, lax attitude vanished completely, leaving a look of raw fear and agitation in its wake; his pupils dilated before her eyes and the tears fell as one. "I'm scared."

Mana believed it. The look of absolute terror on Yugi's face made her feel frightened as well, and she gripped tightly at his hands, giving him something to grasp onto. "What are you scared of, Yugi? Maybe I can help."

The servant continued to stare at her, that look of fear becoming absolutely wild before he closed his eyes tightly, breathing deeply as he clutched onto her hands. When he opened them again and removed his hands from hers, the fear was gone, and his calm exterior was back.

But Mana would never forget what she had just witnessed.

"I'm sorry." Yugi said, dismissing the incident as if it hadn't meant anything to him, wiping away the remainder of his tears gingerly so as not to aggravate the bruising on his face. "I say things aloud that I don't mean to sometimes. You would think it would come naturally after all the years I spent in silence."

Yugi's obvious attempt to diffuse the situation wasn't lost to Mana, but she didn't dare press the issue now. Whatever was wrong with Yugi seriously disturbed him, and while she wanted to know what it was, she couldn't bring herself to hurt him further after what had happened to him that afternoon. "Not to pry or anything, but what were you doing in here when I came up?" Yugi asked curiously.

"Oh, I was looking for Atem. He promised to go horseback riding with Mahado and me, but he never showed up."

Something in Yugi's eyes changed, and the nineteen-year-old couldn't help the grin that spread across his face. Mana scowled as the gash on his lip began to bleed with a vengeance once more. "Oh, Atem's with Mai, actually. He's been feeling pretty sore lately, and she knows just what he needs. I wouldn't ask him to go horseback riding with you any time in the near future if I were you."

For a moment, Mana didn't understand, couldn't figure out why Atem could possibly be so sore that he couldn't ride a horse, but then realization dawned and she glanced away from Yugi, unable to stop the blush that began to spread across her face. "Oh." _Well, that explains that stupid grin of his._

Mana felt childish and ignorant for thinking it, but she couldn't imagine the most powerful man in the country in that kind of situation. How Yugi had persuaded Atem to be in such a submissive position was lost to her, but she wasn't about to ask what his strategy had been. "You can't tell Atem about this." Yugi said, suddenly serious once more. "He'll do something stupid if he finds out about what Akhenaden did to me."

"Yugi, your nose is broken and your face is badly bruised. I can't even imagine how bad the rest of your body looks. Even if I don't tell him, he'll find out quickly."

"He'll be under Mai's care for the rest of the day." Yugi said. "That gives me all the time I need to think of an excuse."

"What could you have done to yourself that would inflict that kind of damage?"

"I got kicked by a horse when I was preparing it for someone to ride, or something along those lines. I'm a pretty skilled liar when I need to be."

"Yugi." Mana said uncertainly, not liking the idea of lying to Atem. Yugi was his lover, and Atem was going to be extremely upset if he ever figured out that they had hid this from him.

"Tell Seto not to breathe a word to Atem." Yugi insisted. "Please say you'll do this for me, Mana."

Mana searched Yugi's eyes seriously for a moment before bowing her head and sighing. "Alright. I'll speak with Seto."

Yugi's body relaxed now that the stress about Atem had been lifted from his shoulders, and while Mana couldn't say she was okay with this, she felt happy knowing that Yugi was content for the time being. "Well, I'll go find Seto now." Mana said, wiping the blood off her hands before standing. "Tell Atem that I understand why he wasn't able to keep his promise."

Yugi nodded, smirking a bit. "Oh, I'll tell him."

The young Priestess left Yugi alone after that, searching the halls for any trace of Seto even though her mind was far from her fellow Priest at that point. She couldn't get over what Akhenaden had done or Yugi's bizarre display of fear. Both events were unexplained and shocking, and while Mana had promised to stay silent this time, there was no way she would let these matters drop.

Sooner or later, the secrets within the walls of the palace would be revealed, and Yugi's skills of persuasion wouldn't be enough to stop the repercussions that would rain down upon their heads.

She hoped that Yugi knew that.


	12. Year Fifteen Part II

_Author's Note: _This chapter gave me so many puzzleshipping emotions, I just . . . UGH. I'm not even going to try and explain it. I love this pairing. Too much, maybe, but the pain I experience is so worth it. I kind of went crazy towards the end and almost wrote a lemon, and while I didn't, you can totally tell I wanted to. _Moving on._ I start school tomorrow, so if I don't update for a day or two, expect me to be having a nervous breakdown somewhere in the world. That probably won't happen, but you never know.

* * *

**Year Fifteen Part II**

* * *

When he and Yugi made love, Atem felt like the man he was as well as the god he had to be for his kingdom.

It was a peculiar way of thinking, for experiencing that kind of euphoria, in Atem's opinion, was an otherworldly experience that couldn't possibly be felt in the realm of mortals, yet it was also such a simple act, one that he understood thoroughly as a way to express his utmost love and respect for Yugi. He could take off the crown and the jewelry and simply bear himself to the older man, who in turn would take him for who he was underneath all the finery, but would also treat the Pharaoh as some otherworldly possession that had been given to him by the gods themselves. To Atem, it was the greatest feeling in the world.

After all the things he'd had to do since becoming Pharaoh, after all the executions he'd ordered and all the carnage he'd witnessed, going back to Yugi made him feel pure once more, like he was fifteen and experiencing his first kiss all over again. Yugi hadn't changed much since their childhood, not in the ways Atem had, and his mere presence was symbolic to the Pharaoh, a reminder of what he'd had, lost, and would never regain again. But he wasn't bitter. If anything, he was more determined to make sure Yugi didn't lose that innocence like he had, didn't have to witness an execution or a gruesome, bloody scene where someone had been murdered.

It was in Yugi's arms when Atem would be transported back to that day in the garden when Yugi had approached him intimately for the first time, when just thinking about the death of his father or Kul Elna made him feel sick enough to hide away. The man he was now would never do that, wouldn't even dream of it. He had responsibilities to take care of and a whole nation of people to protect, but it was nice to pretend that nothing had changed and he could still go swimming with his friends whenever he wanted.

Atem placed his left arm behind his head and squeezed Yugi's body closer with his right, heaving a huge sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. Yugi had already fallen asleep, curled up at Atem's side with an arm thrown over his chest, and while Atem was content and still somewhat under the influence of his orgasm, he wasn't able to join Yugi in his slumber.

He was far too restless to sleep, even though he'd been awake since before the sun rose that morning. Normally Yugi's presence made him forget about all the things he'd had to do that day, and while Atem wasn't as stressed as he'd been earlier, there was one thing Yugi hadn't been able to erase from the Pharaoh's mind.

Almost as if out of nowhere, there had been many reports of stolen belongings in the districts closest to the palace. Family possessions, livestock, and food were a few of the many things reported missing, and Atem had thought it to be only a petty thief until recently, when his father's tomb had been broken into.

The guard had been murdered, his throat cleanly slit, and upon further inspection nothing had seemed to be taken or defiled. Atem himself had gone to check, and the fact that nothing was stolen and yet the guard had been killed both puzzled and frustrated the young Pharaoh. To him, it seemed to be a challenge, a silent message from the perpetrator that said he – or she, although Atem had his doubts – had the power to do as he pleased, to steal and kill whatever and whoever he wanted, and also make the decision not to do so on his own time.

It was infuriating, being taunted, and while Atem wasn't certain that there was a connection between the thieving and the break in, he wasn't going to take any chances. He'd ordered all incidents to be reported to the head of his guard and each one to be thoroughly investigated until the one behind the crimes was caught.

Atem turned his head slightly, glancing over at the table beside his bed, to where the Pendant was resting. He'd considered using the power of his Millennium Item to punish the perpetrator once he'd been caught – if only because he had broken into his father's tomb – but thought better of it in the end. The Item had unbelievable power, just as his priests had explained to him two years ago, but Atem was too reluctant to use it.

When he was sixteen, his uncle had told him to test the Pendant's powers and had offered a criminal who was scheduled for execution as the test subject. The young Pharaoh hadn't been too keen about the idea at first, but with his priests being supportive and encouraging, he didn't believe he'd been doing anything wrong. Atem remembered that man clearly and would never forget how those fierce, brown eyes had glared at him through long strands of black, greasy hair, how stoic and silent he'd been, even knowing that he was being used as practice. With iron bars placed safely between him and the criminal, Atem had looked the man squarely in the eyes and uttered the words Akhenaden had recited to him. "For your crimes against the throne, the Pendant shall pass judgment on you."

Atem had found it odd that afterwards, no one had mentioned what had been so obvious to him, and upon asking Mana what she'd seen, the young man realized that only he had been able to witness in full what had happened to the criminal. Atem had felt the Pendant pulse against his chest, reacting to his words, or perhaps some other force that was unknown to him. As swift as a cobra, tendrils of what had looked to be smoke shot between the bars and into the man's eyes, nose, and mouth. Atem had watched, horrified, as the criminal's eyes rolled back into his head and he began to caterwaul in a manner that made the Pharaoh think he was being torn apart from the inside out. The hardened criminal awaiting his execution had vanished right before Atem's eyes, leaving a trembling, moaning, weeping mess in his place.

The tendrils had returned to Atem, disappearing back inside the Pendant almost as quickly as they'd appeared. It had all happened so quickly, and no one had seen it but him. Before he and his priests had a chance to leave the dungeon, the man's moans turned into screams and he'd begun to claw at his own body, leaving bloody scratches all over his face and arms, even gouging out one of his eyes.

Isis, being the mother hen that she was, had grabbed Atem's wrist and forced him from the scene, coaxing a badly shaken Mana to come with them while the others dealt with the crazed individual. Atem had been just as shaken as Mana, if not more, for he'd been the one to order the Pendant to punish that man, even if he hadn't known what would happen. Before then, the Pharaoh hadn't known exactly what kind of power he'd been carrying around for almost a full year, and now that he knew, he was terrified.

Atem had returned to Yugi that night badly shaken and afraid, unable to get the image of that man out of his head. That was the first night he'd a nightmare, but it was also the first night Yugi had chased them away by surrendering his body to Atem. It was almost an addiction to the Pharaoh now, that feeling of renewed strength and peace that came from being one with Yugi, and it was something he didn't take for granted.

The Pharaoh still wore the Pendant and had refused to dispose of it when Yugi had carefully suggested it the night after Atem had told him what happened, but he'd never used it to its full potential since that day.

Atem had learned a lot of things since then, about the Pendant and about himself, and while he wished to be rid of the golden artifact that was slowly taking over his life, he knew he could not.

Yugi shifted against Atem, uttering a quiet groan that told the Pharaoh his lover was beginning to wake. He turned his head away from the Pendant that always seemed to loom over him and pressed a kiss to Yugi's forehead, smiling against the blond fringe of hair when the older man leaned up into the contact, still not fully awake yet.

"You still awake?" Yugi mumbled tiredly, shifting against Atem's side and reminding the Pharaoh that the two of them were still very much naked.

"How did you guess?"

"Your grip on me was too loose." Yugi yawned against neck, sliding his hand up Atem's side to grasp lightly at his shoulder instead. "It tightens when you're asleep."

"Well, aren't you observant."

"When it comes to you, I have to be. Is something on your mind?"

Atem hesitated, ghosting his fingers over the skin of Yugi's back, eliciting a small shiver from the older man. He wasn't sure what Yugi would say if he told him what he'd been thinking about as of late, even though it hadn't been on his mind just moments before, but Atem supposed it would come up eventually and there was no way he was bringing up the Pendant to Yugi at the moment. Now was as good a time as any, what with Yugi in probably the most relaxed mood he would be in until tomorrow night. "I've been thinking."

"About?"

"About giving you your freedom."

Yugi said nothing for a long while, though Atem could feel the brush of his dark eyelashes on his skin as he blinked, probably in confusion, registering Atem's statement with a mind still hazy from sleep. Then, slowly, the servant lifted his head and propped himself up on an elbow, staring down at Atem with a curious and slightly nervous look on his face. "Why would you – I mean – _What?_"

Atem continued to stroke Yugi's skin, trying to ease his nerves. "This isn't the kind of life I want for you, Yugi. No matter how much I wish for you to always be by my side, I want you to be free."

Yugi tightened his grip on Atem's shoulder, digging his nails into the Pharaoh's bronzed skin, but the younger man hardly noticed. "But what about you?"

"We can still see one another." Atem said with a slight smile. Leave it to Yugi to always be more concerned about Atem than himself. "Just because I relieve you of your slave duties doesn't mean you have to leave the palace. The option is simply there for your choosing. I just thought perhaps you would want to go home and . . . maybe see your parents."

Amethyst eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of his parents, two people that Atem knew for a fact Yugi didn't hold in high regard. The older man didn't remember much about the village where he'd been born or the people who had taken care of him for the first four years of his life, but Yugi had expressed time and time again that he didn't care about where he'd come from and only wanted to focus on where he was now. Atem understood and respected that, but he'd always wondered if Yugi secretly wanted to go back, to confront his mother and father and ask them the question that had plagued him all his life: Why?

Why had they chosen to give him up to settle their debt instead of finding some other way? Why give up their first – and perhaps only – son, knowing that they would most likely never see him again? Atem hated thinking that perhaps Yugi thought he wasn't worth it, that if his own parents hadn't wanted him, then who would? Perhaps he was only striking old wounds by bringing it up now, but his fear that someday Yugi would come to hate him because of his status as a slave overruled his hesitation.

"That place is no home of mine." Yugi murmured eventually. "Not anymore, anyway. I have thought about maybe going back one day, to ask them what their exact reason was for using me as a means to pacify your father, but I don't think their answer would change anything. The fact still remains that they deserted me, and no matter how much I want to forgive them, to understand that they might not have had any other choice, I just can't."

Atem made a sympathetic little noise in the back of his throat, drawing Yugi's attention back to him. "But they brought me to you." Yugi said fondly, leaning over to kiss the shoulder he had subconsciously clawed. "So, I guess it doesn't matter in the long run."

"And I'll always be grateful to them." Atem replied, removing his hand from behind his head to instead grab a fistful of the bedding as Yugi moved on from his shoulder and began focusing on his neck instead. It was already sensitive from earlier, and if Atem didn't know any better, he'd think Yugi was using that fact to distract him from their conversation. "You are the best mender in the palace, after all."

"Oh, I highly doubt you keep me around just for my sewing skills." Yugi teased against his skin, sliding his leg up and over Atem's hips so he was lying on top of the Pharaoh. Atem groaned as their lengths pressed together, and tilting his head back slightly, he knew he wasn't going to be able to stop himself from becoming aroused, even though there were still things that he and Yugi needed to discuss. "Are you sure there isn't anything else, my Pharaoh?"

"Nothing that immediately comes to mind."

"Now you're just being a cheeky bastard."

"But you love me anyway."

Yugi abandoned Atem's neck and pushed himself up on his forearms, fixing Atem with a look that said everything that Yugi wouldn't aloud. "Yeah," Yugi agreed, laughing slightly, "I do."

The Pharaoh remembered how there had once been a time when neither he nor Yugi had been willing to make such a commitment to one another. The emotion was there, of course, but whether it was their stubborn nature or fear of rejection, neither wanted to cross that line until the other did it first.

Atem had been one to cross it, though it hadn't really been a conscientious choice on his part. His dreams had gotten the better of him once more, though this time the shadows had driven _Yugi_ mad for false claims of treason. Mahado had had to hold Atem back as the Pharaoh struggled and shouted, ordered the shadows to leave Yugi alone, that he was innocent, but the shadows of the Pendant hadn't listened. Atem woke up soon after Yugi tore his own skin apart, but the wails of the man he loved more than anything, begging Atem to kill him, had followed him into the waking world.

Yugi had been there to comfort him as usual, telling him that he was alive and safe, but Atem hadn't been convinced in the slightest and clung to the other man like a lifeline, telling him over and over how much he loved him, because to his panic-stricken and sleep-deprived mind, it was the only way to make sure Yugi didn't die. Yugi had finally managed to calm Atem with his own declarations of love, whispering the words over and over until the Pharaoh was silent and limp in the older man's arms, exhausted and badly shaken from his dream.

Atem never wore the Pendant around Yugi after that, and while it hadn't been one of his finer moments, it had forced their feelings out into the open.

"I just – " Yugi began, breaking Atem out of his reverie when he noticed the uncertain waver in his voice. "You aren't saying this because you're tired of me . . . of _this _. . . are you?"

"Never." Atem swore, taking Yugi's right hand and kissing the palm tenderly. "I only wish to make you happier."

"Happier?"

"You've been distant lately." The Pharaoh explained, beginning to feel just as nervous as Yugi probably was. Yugi had done what Atem would never do, admit that he was afraid that his significant other would grow tired of his company. Atem wasn't used to being so insecure, and frankly he didn't like it, but because it was Yugi, it didn't seem so bad. "I figured the stresses of your life were getting to you."

"The only stress I've ever experienced was when we made love for the first time. You took off your clothes and I thought, 'Wow, that has to fit _inside _me.'" Yugi grinned when Atem shifted uncomfortably beneath him, trying to hide the fact that he was hardening at the mere mention of their first time. "Atem, I don't want to stop being your servant. It's the only reason we're allowed to spend as much time together as we do without raising suspicion."

"I don't care if the entire nation knows about us." Atem said stubbornly, just as he always did whenever Yugi brought the subject up. It was the truth, after all.

"Yes, you do." Yugi replied patiently, as was his typical response. "You just won't say anything, and it's okay. I'd much rather spend the rest of my life as a slave at your side than be a free man without you."

"But you wouldn't be without me, Yugi. My heart is yours and yours alone. And I already told you that you could remain here."

"They'd wonder, Atem. If you set me free but let me stay, everyone would wonder about you, and I can't live with that. You deserve to have subjects that have the utmost confidence in you, just as they do now, but that would change if they knew."

"Two men engaging in an intimate relationship isn't exactly an uncommon occurrence, Yugi. No one bats an eye."

"But you're the Pharaoh." Yugi stressed. "You need heirs, and that's something a man – that _I _cannot give you. The people need reassurance that their futures are set in stone, that they'll be fine once you are gone."

"Seto could take over, as well as any children he may have." Atem muttered begrudgingly. He couldn't deny that although he and his cousin didn't see eye to eye on everything, should anything happen to Atem, he wouldn't oppose to Seto taking his place.

Yugi smiled ruefully, curling his adept fingers around Atem's hand. "I suppose he could, but that doesn't change anything. I'm only thinking about what's best for you."

The Pharaoh brooded over Yugi's words for a moment, irritated that after all these years, Yugi still refused to look out for himself for a change. It was moments like these that reminded Atem that even though he may have had more power politically than Yugi, his lover was older and possibly more mature and rational than he was. It had never particularly bothered him, but sometimes Atem felt as if Yugi still saw him as a child that needed looking after. It was what their relationship was based off of, after all, that protective undertone that had flared up in Yugi when they were children. Atem had been drawn to it then and was aroused by it now, but sometimes it was overbearing and excessive. It was just how Yugi was though, so Atem couldn't fault him for it. He too only wanted what was best for his partner, and it was their differentiating opinions on what they thought was best for the other that was causing this rift between them.

Deciding that nothing he said was going to change Yugi's mind at the moment, Atem gave up and chose to focus on a different, more pressing issue. "If you want to do what's best for me," he said, grinding up into Yugi's pelvis in an attempt to alleviate some of his discomfort caused by his erection, "then fix this."

Yugi frowned, pretending to look thoughtful as he wiggled his hips slightly against Atem. The monarch glared at him in response. "I suppose I should. It has been poking me in the hip for a while now."

"Oh, and like yours isn't poking mine?" Atem retorted, satisfied when Yugi began to giggle like he was fifteen again.

"See, this is why I can't leave. No one makes me laugh like you do."

"Well, I'm happy I could be of some use to you." Atem replied before Yugi claimed his mouth in a fierce kiss. He had to remind himself to stay relatively still and calm, not wanting to cause Yugi any pain. His face was still bruised from his encounter with one of the horses at the stable a few days ago. Through the haze, Atem reminded himself to tell Yugi not to mess with the horses again unless the stableman was present.

Yugi pushed his way through the seam of Atem's lips, allowing their tongues to brush together lazily for a few moments before pulling away slightly, breathing heavily against the Pharaoh's mouth. "I can't leave because I need you." He continued breathlessly, purple eyes blazing so intensely with emotion, even in the darkness. "I want to be by your side as long as I can and die in your company."

Atem's breath hitched at the word, suddenly reminded of the Millennium Pendant's presence beside his bed. That damn necklace. "Don't." Atem mumbled, sliding his arms around the older man's neck and pulling himself up slightly to hug Yugi fiercely, never wanting to let go. "Don't talk about dying in my presence."

"It's life, love." Yugi said softly in reply as Atem buried his face in the skin of his shoulder, unwilling to listen to his servant's words but unable to drown him out. "You can't hide from it, can't escape it. Ignoring it isn't going to make it go away."

Atem said nothing in reply, allowing Yugi to gently push him back against the bedding as he moved their hips together in a pseudo dance of what was to come, but he wanted to. He wanted to say it when Yugi was preparing him, when he was in him, on him, and all around him, but he didn't. The Pharaoh stopped trying as he watched the pleasure take control of Yugi's being, as his thrusts became erratic and unpredictable, but he thought it to himself when Yugi came, and then again when he himself released for the second time that night.

_When I'm with you, I believe in the impossible. _


	13. Year Fifteen Part III

_Author's Note: _So . . . yeah, school. I expected bad things, but what I got was even worse than I imagined. Oh, well. I called it. You were there! But breakdowns aside, my best friend's sixteenth birthday was this week, so she invited me over to spend a few days with her so we could have a Fullmetal Alchemist marathon after all the school shenanigans. Who was I to deny the birthday girl? Then I just got lazy, and Tumblr, and _sleep _and . . . anyways, I'm back!

Guess who finally makes an appearance this chapter? Guess whose life he's going to mess up? It's gonna be great.

* * *

**Year Fifteen Part III**

* * *

The silence in the room was suffocating.

The mood was obviously tense, everyone was on edge, and Mana herself was sweating buckets. A lot of things could go wrong in this kind of situation, many of the scenarios involving fists being thrown, secrets being exposed, and – Ra forbid – broken hearts. The young Priestess wished Akhenaden had just let it go, had let Siamun approach the topic on a later date in a more gentle, appropriate, and rational manner.

As of now, thanks to his uncle's thoughtless and insensitive words, Atem looked prepared to rip off the head of whoever spoke next.

Her friend was sitting in his chair, back stiff and knuckles white as he gripped at the arms of his seat, staring at the gathered priests at his feet. There was no warmth in his crimson eyes, none whatsoever, and Mana hoped either Mahado or Isis would try to diffuse the situation, because there was no way she was going to direct that anger towards herself, especially when she was aware of why the Pharaoh was so upset. If she tried to reason with Atem, he would probably come to the conclusion that no one was on his side in this, and she didn't want that.

"I thought I'd made it perfectly clear time and time again that I have no desire to be married any time soon." Atem said eventually, his baritone voice filled to the brim with barely controlled rage. Mana's sympathy went out to her friend, as well as the silent nineteen-year-old that was kneeling at his side. Yugi was caught in the middle of all of this, unable to raise his voice and offer his input on the matter while Akhenaden was around. It was the first time the two of them had been in the same room together since the incident almost two weeks ago, and all Mana wanted to do was cart Yugi away and out of the eye of scrutiny. She knew Atem wanted to do the same.

Mana hadn't known what to think when Akhenaden had come to her while she was studying with Mahado and ordered the two of them to accompany him to the throne room. The emerald-eyed Priestess had been reluctant to go, still furious with the man for beating Yugi so mercilessly, but Mahado had agreed almost instantly, telling Mana they would continue with lessons later on in the day. On the way to the throne room, Atem's uncle had tracked down Isis as well, and the black-haired woman had trailed along silently, looking just as pleased as Mana had been when Akhenaden came to her.

Upon entering the throne room, Mana's heart had sunk in her chest. Atem and Yugi were alone, and while they weren't doing anything incriminating, Yugi was perched on the edge of Atem's chair instead of on the floor, as was proper. The look in their eyes had suggested that something was about to occur between them or already had occurred, and the expression on Atem's face when they came in would have been amusing if Mana hadn't been so suspicious and worried.

Akhenaden hadn't wasted any time. "Pharaoh Atem, it is time for you to do what is best for your country by taking a wife."

Mana's breath had caught in her throat at the declaration, barely concealing a gasp as Mahado reached out to nudge his hand against hers in warning. Isis hadn't looked particularly surprised, bowing her head slightly to stare at the ground as if she couldn't bear to be in the situation. So, this was what Akhenaden had wanted to discuss. But why seek out Mana, Mahado, and Isis and not Siamun, Seto, and Karim as well?

Yugi, to his credit, hadn't looked as surprised as Atem, but he'd been frozen for a long time, still sitting on the arm of Atem's chair as if afraid to move and draw even more attention to himself. Mana knew how sensitive Atem was on the subject of marriage, at least when Yugi wasn't involved in the plans. The Pharaoh had had many suitors over the years, male and female alike, all of which he'd turned down even before he and Yugi became lovers. The young Priestess knew that Atem saw marriage as the end of things as he knew it, because there was no possible way Akhenaden was going to allow him to commit to Yugi, who was merely a slave.

"The four of us are aware of your relationship with your slave," Akhenaden had continued, shifting his gaze to Yugi, who stiffened slightly, "and we have come to persuade you to stop this foolishness and end whatever affairs the two of you are having."

Mana had gasped at that, finally putting together the pieces as to why the High Priest had dragged them along. But how could he have possibly known? The young woman glanced over at Mahado, who was staring at the back of Akhenaden's head with a look of absolute loathing on his face. It was foreign to Mana, who had never seen her friend and mentor express so much dislike for a person, and she wondered when Mahado had figured out that Atem and Yugi were more than just friends. She couldn't say she was surprised, for Mahado was Atem's friend as well and understood him just as well as she did, but that didn't explain Isis' presence.

The sapphire-eyed Priestess was still looking at the ground, most of her face obscured by the hood of her white cloak, but Mana noticed the tight set of her jaw and her tense posture. Perhaps Mana would approach the older woman later and ask how she'd known and what she thought about the situation.

Atem's look of surprise had vanished at that point, replaced by that expression of cold indifference, and at the mention of his relationship with the Pharaoh, Yugi slowly slid off the chair and kneeled on the ground, where he stayed for the remainder of the conversation.

"And we have listened time and time again, my Pharaoh." Akhenaden said in response to Atem's stiff declaration of his insistence not to get married. "But it's gotten to a troublesome point. You are deluding yourself, Nephew."

The crimson-eyed ruler's jaw clenched, and Mana wished to be anywhere but in the throne room at that point. She didn't want to speak out in Akhenaden's presence, though she was certain Atem knew that she supported his relationship with Yugi completely. But when his cold gaze shifted to her, never losing that steely undertone, she wondered if maybe he didn't know that after all. "Indulge me then, _Uncle._" Atem said eventually, seemingly more irate now that Yugi wasn't immediately at hand. "What evidence do you have that supports your claim that I am intimate with Yugi?"

Mana found the question odd, for she knew that Atem had never cared who knew about his relationship with Yugi. Perhaps he was wondering how Akhenaden had figured him out, just as she had. "Why, I read your mind of course. I grew concerned and probed into your thoughts and found all I needed to." Turning his head slightly in the direction of the other Priests, he added, "I tapped into your minds as well. I apologize for any intrusion."

Mana stared, shocked and angry that Akhenaden had dared use the power of his Millennium Item on them. _So, that was why he brought us. Only Isis, Mahado, and I knew about Atem and Yugi's relationship. _This was bad. If Akhenaden had tapped into her thoughts, then he knew she was aware of what he'd done to Yugi. She desperately hoped he wouldn't come after her in an attempt to keep her silent. And even worse, now that Akhenaden was aware of what the Pharaoh and his slave were doing, he was going to try and put a stop to it.

"You had no jurisdiction to probe into my mind, Akhenaden." Atem was seething. "The decisions I make have absolutely nothing to do with you."

"It does if it jeopardizes the kingdom."

Mana could tell Atem didn't understand why Akhenaden was being so adamant about this. It wasn't a secret that the High Priest had wanted to be Pharaoh in Atem's place after his brother died, and as things were, if Atem were to die, Akhenaden would assume the throne, then Seto after him. The young woman couldn't deny that she was somewhat suspicious of the man's motives, but she knew Akhenaden didn't meant Atem harm. Maybe he truly thought he was doing the right thing by saying these things to Atem.

"I understand that certain urges hit you as you grew older, Atem, and your slave was convenient and all too willing to satisfy your needs, but there are other, more practical ways to gratify yourself."

The words were harsh and thoughtless, clearly an attack against Yugi, and Mana couldn't believe Akhenaden had said them aloud. The young Priestess noticed the subtle slump of Yugi's shoulders and the look of pain in his eyes that he hadn't been able to conceal in time. Atem stiffened in his seat before shooting to his feet, opening his mouth as if to say something, but he hesitated. Mana wasn't sure if the others heard it, the faint sound of Yugi's voice that quietly ordered, "Be still," but she had, and it amazed her that such a simple statement had stopped Atem dead in his tracks when he was obviously falling victim to his emotions.

The young Pharaoh's furious expression gave way to one of cold indifference, the impeccable composure that he usually showed finally making an appearance. "And you three?" Atem asked evenly, directing the question at Mana, Mahado, and Isis, who had all been dragged into this situation blind but were too reluctant to say so. "Do you agree with Akhenaden?"

Satisfied when Akhenaden didn't turn around to watch them, Mana shook her head fiercely, though to her utter surprise, Isis and Mahado remained completely silent. The sapphire-eyed Priestess hadn't said a word during the entire encounter, though Mana knew she was paying avid attention. But Mahado's silence worried Mana. What if he did have an issue with Atem and Yugi's situation and had just never voiced his opinion? If he said something now, Atem's trust in him could disappear completely. "You need heirs, my Pharaoh." Mana's mentor said eventually. His voice never wavered. "Getting married is what is best."

Atem nodded curtly, turning his attention back to Ahkenaden, though Mana could literally feel the ties being severed around her. "What do you suggest I do?"

"Libya has made an offer." The High Priest replied, extremely pleased that Atem was finally listening. "The king has a fifteen-year-old daughter that he is looking to wed off. I believe you have already been acquainted with Princess Anzu at a previous date."

The Pharaoh nodded while Mana pondered over this new information. She had seen and met a lot of women looking to marry her friend, and while Mana didn't have a prayer of sorting through all the names and faces, Princess Anzu was among the few that stood out to her. She and Atem had met the young girl seven some years ago, when she and Atem were ten and Anzu was eight. The King of Libya had business with Atem's father and had brought his daughter along to accompany him during his stay in Egypt. It had been Atem and Mana's job to keep the young princess entertained during her brief stay with them, and Mana remembered the princess as a nice, sweet young girl that loved to have fun. The three of them had become fast friends during Anzu's short stay, but they hadn't been able to remain in contact with one another after she and her father had returned to Libya. The young Priestess recalled how cute Anzu had been back then, with her fair skin, short auburn locks and eyes as blue as the morning sky, and she had no doubt Anzu had grown into a beautiful young woman.

But, still, Mana was worried.

Atem and Anzu may have been friends at one point, but he'd never seen her in the light he saw Yugi. No matter how beautiful she had become, Atem wasn't about to be swayed. If he was forced into marrying her, he would do everything in his power to make her happy and never come to hate her for the situation, but he wouldn't be capable of loving her in the way she deserved to be loved by her husband. Akhenaden was wrong if he thought forcing Atem to marry Anzu would make him forget about Yugi.

Atem would never forget, and he, Anzu, and Yugi would suffer for the rest of their days in the mortal plain if Akhenaden's wishes were realized.

"We will give you a day to make your decision." Akhenaden said when Atem remained silent. "Consider your options, Pharaoh. Weigh them carefully, and all will be well."

Mana turned around to leave before the others, desperately trying to hide the anger that she was sure was on her face. She couldn't blame Isis for not speaking up, but Mahado was Atem's friend. How could he have said those things? But Mana felt guilty, recalling that she hadn't spoken up either aside from a shake of her head. She should have stood up to Akhenaden, insist that he was doing the wrong thing by pressuring Atem into this, but she'd been too much of a coward.

Atem and Yugi had needed her, and she had done nothing.

Akhenaden closed the doors to the throne room silently behind them, hiding his hands within the sleeves of his cloak as he bowed slightly to the three of them. "I apologize for any inconvenience." Then he turned and walked away, leaving the three priests alone with nothing but their thoughts and uneasy feelings, leaving them to deal with his mess.

"I cannot believe you." Mana snapped, whipping around to face Mahado, who looked caught off-guard by her uncharacteristic outburst. "Why did you say those things to him? You _know_ how he feels about getting married!"

The man's steely grey eyes hardened considerably as he gazed down at his apprentice. "Marriage is the next step for him, whether he likes it or not."

"How could you say that? What about Yugi?"

"Yugi knew what he was getting into by becoming Atem's lover. Do you really think he's just as blind as you are, unable to see that sooner or later, Atem would need a queen by his side? It matters not if Yugi 'had him first' or loves him more than any woman ever will. He's a man, he's a slave, and therefore, he and Atem cannot have the happy ending that you have deluded yourself into seeing for them, Mana."

Mana said nothing, stunned that Mahado was being so harsh. He'd never spoken to her in such a manner before, never questioned her intelligence to her face. The young woman didn't find herself delusional. Atem and Yugi could be happy if everyone just left them alone. Seto and Akhenaden were still alive and would be able to run the kingdom smoothly with all the wisdom they possessed. Atem didn't _need _an heir! Was she really the only one that saw that?

When Mahado spoke again, his voice was softer, but Mana could tell she was still being chastised. "I don't have an issue with Atem's relationship with Yugi. I never did, contrary to what you may believe. But I've known since we were children that this would happen, that nothing was going to be as perfect as you or Atem may have envisioned it. Yugi has known all along as well, and I know not if things would be different, easier, if he hadn't consented to be Atem's lover, but we can't change that now. Marrying Princess Anzu won't end Atem's life with Yugi. It will put a strain on things for everyone involved, yes, but Pharaohs past have had more than one lover at a time; our friend is no different. It all depends on what Atem thinks is best for himself, Yugi, and Anzu."

Mahado fell silent, staring down at Mana for a few moments before closing his eyes with a sigh, turning away from her. "Isis, please escort Mana to her chambers."

Mana watched sullenly as Mahado turned and left her, his robes billowing behind him in his haste to be away from her and the controversy she represented. It hurt knowing that her friend and mentor thought she was being a child over the situation, had left her in the care of another instead of taking care of her himself. It was a strange, foreign concept, for Mahado had been watching over her since they were young, ever since the sickness that had plagued the palace and its surrounding areas had taken her parents from her.

The young woman never thought about them, because just as Atem didn't remember his mother, she didn't remember either of her parents. It had always been Mahado who had taken care of her, despite the four year age difference. She didn't know why he had taken on such a huge responsibility at such a young age, nor did she understand why he still coddled her even now that she was his apprentice. That had been the first time that he'd been so strict and cold when speaking to her. Mana wasn't exactly sure how to react, but the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that she was beyond upset.

"He is only upset because he knows he is right."

Mana jumped, turning slightly when Isis spoke up from behind her. The older woman smiled slightly, tilting her head in the direction where Mahado had disappeared. Mana frowned. "I don't understand."

"Mahado wants everything to be okay, just as you do." Isis explained. "He does not want to believe that the Pharaoh cannot have the happiness he so desires, because he is his friend and he only wants what is best for him. But Mahado is realistic and knows what has to be done, so he agreed with Akhenaden on some level. It hurt him to do it, but it was the right thing."

"Is it though?" Mana inquired. "I don't understand why everyone is pressuring Atem into getting married when it's obvious he doesn't want to. We're his Priests, we're supposed to help him through his life, not make it harder."

Isis nodded in acknowledgment of her words, glancing towards the door to the throne room where Atem and Yugi were surely having an emotional discussion. "I too have wondered if we are doing more harm than good by telling the Pharaoh to find a queen all these years. The people always loved Aknamkanon more than Akhenaden, and adored Atem more than Seto as well. I must think how a vast majority of Atem's subjects would react if he were to never have a son or daughter to assume the throne. Would they feel safe under Seto's or Akhenaden's rule? It is because I am uncertain that I have not put a stop to this, Mana. I want the Pharaoh to be happy as you and Mahado do, but I know the love he holds for his people. He'll want to do what's best for them, and this could be it. I won't allow the Pharaoh to doubt himself later on in life."

Hearing it put into words like that, Mana instantly felt bad for doubting Mahado. If he shared the same thought process as Isis, then she couldn't fault him – or Isis – for doing what they thought was best for Atem. "I hope he isn't upset with me." She murmured, emerald eyes beginning to burn with unshed tears. "I didn't – I just – "

"He doesn't wish for you to doubt him." Isis said soothingly, stepping forward to place a hand comfortingly on Mana's shoulder as the girl rubbed at her eyes furiously. "You've always followed after him, listened to what he says like he was a god himself. It must have caused quite a shock when you rounded on him like that."

"I've never doubted him! I trust him more than anyone. I just didn't know what to think when he agreed with Akhenaden like that."

"He had the courage to do what we could not." Isis said solemnly, looking quite irritated in herself for not speaking up. "And he most likely damaged his relationship with Atem while doing so. If you lost faith in him as well, Mana, Mahado wouldn't know where to turn."

Mana had never thought Mahado to be as insecure about himself as Isis was portraying him to be, but she was still quite awed that her mentor had attracted attention to himself knowing full well what the consequences would be, just for the sake of Atem and their kingdom. "How do you know all of this?" Mana inquired, eyeing the Millennium Tauk around Isis' neck. "Even I couldn't have predicted these things, and Mahado is one of my best friends."

Isis laughed lightly, removing her hand from Mana's shoulder. "Sometimes Mahado says things he does not mean to while intoxicated. I just happen to be at the right place at the right time. He had to voice his fears to someone, after all."

"He could have told me." Mana said, stifling a giggle. Hearing those fears from her mentor himself would have unsettled her, but the thought of an intoxicated Mahado was more amusing than Mana wanted to admit. "He can tell me anything."

"Oh, he knows that, but Mahado also still sees you as a small child that needs protecting. He would never contemplate the idea of telling you these things."

Mana knew that much, but she was still a little hurt that Mahado had attacked her values and thought process so bluntly. Her questioning his actions may have unsettled him, but he could've been nicer about it. "I'll apologize to him later." Mana stated. "I suppose he wants me to go sit in my room and think about my sins now."

Isis rolled her eyes, grinning as she beckoned for Mana to follow her down the corridor, towards Mana's chamber. "Just try to see our side of things, Mana. We all want the Pharaoh's happiness."

Mana nodded and, after casting one last glance at the throne room door, followed after the older woman. She supposed she did have a lot of thinking to do, but the worry she felt for Atem and Yugi wasn't going to leave her to her peace any time soon. No matter what was going on in the throne room, she hoped the two of them were okay and would be able to work past this hurdle together.

She prayed that someday Atem would come to forgive them.

The young woman grunted as she bumped into Isis, who had stopped too suddenly for Mana to register. "Isis?" She questioned, taking in the stiffness of the older woman's posture. "What is it?"

The wielder of the Millennium Tauk said nothing for a moment, turning her head slowly to glance around before facing Mana once more, the warmth that had previously been in her sapphire eyes gone. "There is black magic in the air."

* * *

Atem began to pace the moment his priests left the room. "This is ludicrous!" The irate monarch exclaimed, the feeling of panic that had consumed him when his uncle called him out on his relationship with Yugi beginning to evaporate as a searing rage took its place. "What right does he have, ordering me around as if _he _were the Pharaoh and not I?"

"He is your uncle and your High Priest. He . . . only wants what's best for you."

The Pharaoh froze, having completely forgotten that he wasn't the only victim in this. Spinning around, he studied Yugi's hunched form in concern. Akhenaden had scrutinized Yugi more than Atem during his whole speech, and while Atem had been furious about it then, he'd forgotten in his own anger. Yugi was still kneeling beside the throne, refusing to meet Atem's eyes and instead staring at his hands, which were clenched tightly in his lap. The younger man wasn't sure what to say, what to do in this situation to make Yugi feel better, to restore whatever self-confidence that Akhenaden had probably destroyed.

He couldn't have imagined that his day would turn out like this. He had awoken in Yugi's arms, as per usual, and with no meetings that demanded the Pharaoh's attention, he had planned to spend the entire day relaxing with his lover. They laid in his bed for a few hours as they talked about idle things, took a stroll in the garden, and then retreated to the throne room. Yugi had been acting strange all morning, almost forceful in the suggestive advances he had been making towards the young Pharaoh, and Atem had been about to suggest they return to his chambers when Akhenaden, Mahado, Isis, and Mana had interrupted their time together.

Atem felt that his uncle had been out of line in his claims that he was only using Yugi for the pleasure, the benefits, and he couldn't have been more wrong. Even if he and Yugi remained chaste for the rest of their lives, it wouldn't have mattered. Sex was a wonderful, sacred thing to share with the person you loved, but he wouldn't leave Yugi if that were suddenly taken from them. He was even more enraged that Akhenaden had dared to probe into his mind using his Millennium Eye, and not only him, but Yugi, Mana, Mahado, and Isis as well. Whatever his uncle thought he was protecting him from, Atem didn't appreciate it, and there were going to be repercussions.

"You didn't believe anything he said, right?" Atem asked quietly. "You're worth more to me than some concubine used solely for pleasure."

Yugi nodded slowly, finally raising his head to lock eyes with Atem. The pain in his violet irises made Atem wish he had shouted at his uncle when the urge had hit him. "I know that." The older man replied, finally pushing himself up and walking down the steps to where Atem stood. "I may not have power, but I'm still a human being with the dignity we're all born with. I understand my worth is measurable in the eyes of people like your uncle, but I know who I am and what my purpose is. Nothing he says can take that from me."

Atem relaxed at his lover's words, but only for a moment before a flash of anger hit him again. "I cannot believe Mahado agreed with Akhenaden."

When his uncle had made his intentions clear, Atem had been shocked that Mahado, Isis, and Mana had accompanied him in his attempt to get Atem to marry Princess Anzu. The Pharaoh doubted Mana had wanted to come along, completely aware of how uncomfortable and shocked she had looked during the entire exchange, but Mahado and Isis were another story entirely. Isis hadn't said a word, hadn't even dared to meet his eyes, but Mahado – the man who had been his friend since his birth – had spoken his agreement. Atem knew Mahado wasn't one to avoid or hide the truth, so there was no doubt in the monarch's mind that his Priest had meant what he said. He couldn't help feeling a bit betrayed, couldn't help but wonder if Mahado had always thought that way. He was going to have to have a talk with him at a later time.

"I agree as well."

Atem gaped up at Yugi who in turn held his gaze evenly, still looking worn and exhausted from their ordeal but refusing to back down. He knew Yugi believed having a queen would make his life easier, but he hadn't expected his servant to say so now when the two of them were battered enough as it was. "I remember Anzu." Yugi continued when Atem remained silent. "She liked you. You liked her. I think she would make a wonderful wife for you."

"Listen to yourself. Why are you giving up so easily?" Atem countered, his stomach plummeting when he realized that Yugi could very well end everything if he thought it would help Atem make a decision. He couldn't deny that he did like Anzu, but not in the way he did Yugi. She had been a good friend in the time they had spent together, and he had thought of her fondly over the years, reflected on her gentle and fun-loving spirit, but he didn't love her in a romantic way. Atem supposed if he did marry Anzu, they could be happy and he might come to love her to some degree if he allowed himself, but he wouldn't be able to stop thinking of Yugi.

The thought of his love and best friend, standing by as Atem and Anzu got married, started a family, and grew old together left Atem feeling sick and guilty. He didn't want to do that to Yugi, Anzu, or himself, but if everyone around him was pressuring him to do this, what could he do? It frustrated him that even though he was Pharaoh, he had no power to stop his Priests from trying to find him a wife. He had tried again and again, but they refused to listen, and he was reaching the end of his patience. Yugi knew that, and still, he was pushing.

"I know how to choose my battles, Atem." Yugi replied, though he wouldn't meet Atem's eyes. He was looking at the Pendant. It was the first time Atem had worn it in his presence in a whole year. "I'm giving up because we don't have a prayer of winning."

"Don't say that." Atem snapped. "It's ultimately my decision on whether I get married or not."

"I hope you choose to get married."

"Yugi, you're not making any sense! Do you wish to have me or not?"

Yugi smiled then, finally meeting Atem's intense gaze. "Atem, you're missing something important. Marrying Anzu doesn't mean the end of us. You can have both, you know."

"I don't desire for both. I just want you."

Yugi hummed slightly, stepping forward to grab onto Atem's arms and press himself flush against the Pharaoh's body. Atem remained impassive, determined not to get distracted at such a crucial moment. "You can pacify everyone by just getting married, love. I'll still be here, at your side, just as I've always been. Many Pharaohs before you had multiple lovers at their side. No one expects you to commit thoroughly to a single person."

"I have no desire to be like those other Pharaohs you speak of." Atem said coldly, crimson eyes narrowing as he observed his companion. Was Yugi truly speaking his mind? And if so, did he care for Atem so little that he would willingly toss him into the arms of another? "I apologize immensely if I made my intentions with you unclear that day in the garden. I never planned on committing to another."

At least Yugi had the decency to pull away slightly and look a bit nervous. "Please, be reasonable. I'm only trying to help you do what's best so your uncle will leave you be."

"You all keep saying the same thing." Atem commented, never taking his eyes off Yugi as he took a step back to put some distance between them. Yugi bit his lip slightly but released Atem's arms without hesitation. "That you're trying to do what's best, and frankly, it's getting bothersome, because I don't know who you think is benefiting from all of this, me or yourselves?"

Yugi's jaw dropped slightly, his violet eyes impossibly wide with shock and pain as he registered Atem's standoffish disposition. "Atem – "

"Well, this is just depressing." Atem stiffened at the sound of a foreign voice, spinning around and backing up into Yugi to protect him in case something happened. "I didn't come here today expecting to interrupt a lover's spat. Can you not even keep your sex toy content, Pharaoh?"

Almost as if out of nowhere, a man materialized from the shadows, a wicked grin firmly in place as he stared at the vulnerable Pharaoh and his servant. Atem assessed the man as he pressed further into Yugi, forcing him to back up and put more distance between themselves and this intruder.

The first thing Atem noticed was the scar on the right side of the man's face, running from underneath his lavender-colored eye to his jawline, for the paleness of the mark stood out starkly against the rest of his sun darkened skin. His shoulder length hair was another oddity, so pale in color it could've classified as white, and he was only wearing a shenti the same color as Yugi's eyes and a long, red cloak. This man looked wild to the Pharaoh, dangerous, and even though his build was slight, the bulk of his muscles were extremely noticeable, and they set Atem on edge. He didn't want to have to resort to violence to get this intruder to leave, but if it meant protecting Yugi, he would gladly drive this man to the edge of insanity with the Pendant.

There would be no hesitation.

"How did you gain entrance to my palace?" Atem demanded, distracted only for a heartbeat when Yugi's fingers curled into the fabric of his tunic, fisting the material tightly.

"Is that all you have to say to me?" The stranger replied, walking closer to the pair while looking around as if he were only sightseeing. "I would expect more common courtesy from the benevolent Pharaoh I have been hearing so much about."

"Says he who broke into my home." Atem retorted, unwilling to let on how frightened he was by this. He had no way of knowing what this man's intentions were, what he had to gain by exposing himself like this, but the Pharaoh reminded himself to be cautious. There was nothing more dangerous than a man who had nothing to lose. "I'll ask again. How did you gain entrance to my palace?"

A banging on the door caught the Pharaoh's attention, followed by the sound of Mana's voice, calling, "Atem? Yugi? Are you two okay?"

The man smirked. "The same way I stalled that door. You are not the only one with access to the shadows, Pharaoh."

Atem regarded the man with an air of curiosity, suddenly interested. No one aside from his Priests and Yugi knew about the shadows his Pendant could emit, and as far as he knew, no one else could control them. Who was this man, with no Item of his own, who knew of the shadows' existence? Before he could ask, Yugi's voice spoke up from behind him, vibrating against his back. "Who are you?"

"Be silent." Atem said tersely, his tone clipped, to which the stranger laughed, the harsh baritone of his voice taking on a less than controlled edge.

"Well, at least you treat your whore with respect." He cackled, placing one hand on his chest and extending the other out to them, his eyes fixated on a spot over Atem's shoulder, where Yugi was. "I have no name, if that was what you were inquiring, Desert Rose."

"How could you possibly have no name?"

"I abandoned it, left it behind almost six years ago, because the person I was then is not the man I am today." Suddenly serious, the stranger dropped his hands and shifted his focus back to Atem, lavender eyes narrowing as he matched the Pharaoh's glare. "It is for that reason I have paid you a visit, Pharaoh."

"Indulge me then." Atem drawled, still peeved that the man had dared address Yugi in such a forward manner, had given him an alias that obviously derived from his looks. The bangs on the door had only increased, and now Isis' voice had joined Mana's. The two of them sounded equally worried. "If you refuse to tell me who you are, then at least tell me why you have come."

"I have come for the Items."

Atem didn't hesitate. "The Millennium Items do not belong to you. They were created to protect the throne."

The laughter came back, though this time, the man sounded angry. Increasingly so. "Well, isn't that rich? I'd say the Items belong to me more than anyone. I was present for their creation, their birth! I hold more claim to them than you ever will."

"Explain yourself." Atem wasn't sure why, but the Pendant was beginning to react. That pulsing heat that he had felt the night the shadows had attacked the prisoner was making itself known, though this time it was stronger. "The Millennium Items had been around long before your birth."

"You misguided wretch." The man spat, slicing his right arm through the air in agitation. "Do not lie to me! You call yourself a king and yet you turn a blind eye to the suffering in your land. You don't fool me, Pharaoh, for I remember watching as my friends and family were slaughtered to create that Pendant of yours, the Rod, the Ring, all of them!"

"Human lives." Yugi whispered behind Atem, piecing together what the Pharaoh refused to. There was no possible way.

"That's right, Desert Rose. Believe me, it was a day I'll never forget."

"Where is your proof?" Atem demanded, reaching back to grab hold of Yugi's arm when the older man began to tremble, forgetting their argument for the moment and only wanting to make him feel secure.

"Right here." The man stated, reaching up to tap his knuckles against his temple. "It's all the proof _I_ need. Delude yourself as long as you wish, Pharaoh, but your time is coming. The Millennium Items will soon belong to me, and I will right all the wrong you and your _throne _have done to this world."

"Stop!" Atem shouted as the man turned, presumably to make his escape. "I'm through with your games. Tell me who you are this instant!"

The man jolted to a stop, staring at the ground with his shoulders hunched for a few moments before turning slowly. The wicked grin on the man's face mad him look positively mad, but his eyes and body language were composed, almost regal. Atem decided then that this man was deadly. "I am the one who thieves from the homes of your subjects, the one who paid tribute to your wretched father by spilling the blood of a peasant on his grave. But if you truly want to know who and what I am, the secret lies in the village of Kul Elna."

When Atem blinked next the man was gone, dissipating into thin air as if he hadn't been there to begin with. But Atem felt the black magic in the air, and he knew that if the thief had wanted to, he could've killed him and Yugi on the spot and Atem wouldn't have been the wiser. Again, this man was taunting him.

The door to the room burst open and Mana tumbled in with a shout of surprise, landing on her hands and knees now that the magic keeping the door closed had been removed. Isis strode in, skirting around the young woman on the floor as her sapphire eyes scanned the room. "I sensed a dark presence in here." She said lowly. "What happened, my Pharaoh?"

Atem opened his mouth to explain, but suddenly Yugi's grip on him disappeared, his arm slipping from the Pharaoh's grasp. When Atem turned, his lover was on the floor, both hands clasped firmly over his mouth as he stared up at Atem in pure fright, tears spilling from his eyes. "Yugi." The young man said, surprised.

"I'm sorry." Muffled by Yugi's hands, Atem strained to hear the words clearly, and the slave shook his head, shoulders heaving from the force of the sobs he was trying so desperately to keep back. "Oh, gods, I'm so sorry!"

The Pharaoh wasn't sure what Yugi was trying to apologize for, why he was sobbing so pitifully at his feet, but he didn't have time to sit and think about it. "Shh, everything's fine." Atem murmured as he kneeled in front of the distraught man, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and pulling him into a tight embrace. Yugi did naught but clutch onto him and cry. "We're okay."

"What happened in here?" Mana asked, bewildered as she picked herself up and spoke over Yugi's heart wrenching sobs. "Why wouldn't the door open?"

Atem didn't respond, too busy replaying everything that was said previously in his head while trying to soothe his distraught lover. The Pharaoh's chest tightened when he noticed Yugi's position, that even though he was completely overwhelmed by his emotions, he was still arched in a way so he wasn't touching the Pendant at all, pressed mostly to the upper half of Atem's body. Atem had a suspicion of what that man had been talking about when he mentioned Kul Elna, but it was too vile, too unthinkable. Atem didn't want to accept it, but it was obvious Yugi had no problems believing what the thief had said.

Turning slightly to glance at Mana and Isis, the Pharaoh noticed how Isis was touching the Millennium Tauk slightly, her blue eyes clouded in thought. So, she had felt it too, then. The Items had reacted to the thief's presence, and that fact alone pushed Atem into voicing his silent fears.

Summoning his courage, Atem directed his words solely at Isis. There was no way sweet and naïve Mana could possibly hold the answers he sought.

"Tell me the true origins of the Millennium Items."

* * *

_A.N. _And, no, this won't be an Anzu bashing fic. I've seen enough of those to last me a lifetime.


	14. Year Fifteen: Farewell Part I

_Author's Note: _Well, I present to you the chapter that marks the beginning of what started my puzzleshipping depression. I'm over that now, but still.

* * *

**Year Fifteen: Farewell Part I**

* * *

The slaughter of the innocent.

That's what it had taken to forge the Items whose purposes were to serve the Pharaoh – the mass killing of an entire village of people.

Ninety-nine souls had gone into the creation of each specific Item. Six hundred and ninety-three souls in all. Atem would know. He had spent the past few days alone in his room simply contemplating the idea, going over the information in his head, honing in on the flutters of energy he could pick up from the Pendant if he focused hard enough.

Isis said there was no possible way that each individual soul still existed somewhere inside his Pendant, that they had entered the Afterlife long ago and only the life force remained, but Atem wasn't so sure. The Pendant had always seemed dark to him; even from the start he had known something wasn't right. The energy of the Item had been almost angry, violent and unforgiving when Atem unleashed its powers. It could have been the effects of the black magic infused within the golden pyramid, as Isis had insisted.

Or it could've been the bitter remains of ninety-nine lost souls.

Atem had thought a lot about the people that may have gone in to making his Pendant. Women and children, men that worked hard every day to provide for their families, and elderly citizens who had lived their lives in a country where the leaders had betrayed them, disregarded their safety, and murdered them without remorse.

Mahado had explained that the people of Kul Elna had refused to cooperate with Aknamkanon and wouldn't repent for their sins against the gods, and as a village crawling with thieves, they had been the prime candidates for sacrifice. That wasn't necessarily how Mahado had worded it, but Atem had perceived it as such. The young Pharaoh couldn't believe that his father had authorized such a thing, had turned his back on the villagers and never even bothered to inform Atem before his death. And he'd still given the order for the Pendant to be given to Atem.

For two years, Atem had worn the Pendant unknowing of the dark secrets that surrounded it, the weight of the lives that had squirmed about against his chest. It had bothered him deeply even then, when he hadn't known the means of his Item's creation. What had it been like for his father, who knew every single thing that had occurred, down to the last minor detail? The man that had broken into the palace was a survivor, Atem was now certain. The Pharaoh wasn't sure how he had managed to escape being sacrificed, and while part of him was glad the man escaped, he couldn't help but despise him as well. After all the thieving and the break in, the man wasn't high on Atem's list of those he held in high regard, and despite the wrong the thief's village had been dealt, he was still going to be tried as a criminal.

The young Pharaoh sighed, staring down at the golden pyramid cradled in his hands. He wasn't exactly sure what to do with it, even after days of speculation. The guilt had reached absurd levels, and Atem was beginning to feel ill, although he refused to accept the medicines his Priests would offer. Aside from attending the regular council meetings, the Pharaoh never left his room. Everything was all so overwhelming, from the revelations about the Millennium Items to his impending marriage to Princess Anzu. He'd never actually accepted the offer, but his uncle had gone ahead and sent a message to Libya regardless, and while Atem hadn't the energy to do something about it, the thought of being married still made him upset, even more so than before.

He didn't want anyone to be near him anymore, not even Yugi, who Atem hadn't seen since the day the thief had broken into the palace. Atem had stayed by his side until his emotions had calmed, but once Yugi had been able to stand on his own two feet, Atem had left without looking back. It was their first real fight in all the years they'd spent together, and Atem wasn't really sure what to think of it. He knew Yugi thought he was doing the right thing, but he was only pushing Atem away. But that was Yugi's goal after all, to convince Atem that marrying Anzu was the best and perhaps only option.

Atem had distanced himself from the man to clear his thoughts at first, to make a decision without Yugi around to distract him, but even though he'd achieved that goal, he still hadn't made a move to approach Yugi. He didn't even know what he would say to him, how he could possibly explain what was going on inside his head, so he opted to stay away.

But no matter how uncertain Atem had become when it came to his relationship with Yugi, he knew that he couldn't leave things as they were. He missed the closeness they had once shared, and waking up to a cold spot next to him every morning after years of sleeping in the man's presence was enough cause for a fresh wave of depression. The Pharaoh knew he couldn't keep doing this, hiding away in his chamber while life continued on outside, and it was those thoughts that forced Atem out of his bed.

The young monarch dressed quietly in a simple, cloth tunic, forgoing his cape and most of his jewelry. Crimson eyes settled warily on the Pendant still resting on the bedding, and after a few moments of deliberation, he picked it up and slipped the leather strap over his head, allowing the Pendant to settle against his chest once more. No matter how much the monarch wanted to deny it, the weight of the Item was soothing and familiar despite everything he knew about it, and the seventeen-year-old almost laughed.

The cause of so much of his pain and future suffering actually comforted him.

What a sad notion indeed.

All was silent when Atem left his room, the corridors almost as dark as his room had been. The Pharaoh started off down the hall, not exactly sure where it was he was going but not caring all the same. He just needed to take a walk to think a little, to clear his head, and if he happened to run into Yugi, well, that wouldn't be so terrible.

Atem wondered what the others had been doing in his absence. He still saw his priests every day, but he never spoke to them aside from a casual greeting. The young Pharaoh could tell that Mana desperately wanted to amend the situation but just didn't know how, and her uncertainty about Atem's feelings forced her into a sullen silence whenever he was around. He truly did feel remorse over everything that had been lost over the past couple days, but he wasn't sure how to go about fixing it. Everything seemed so chaotic and out of his hands; it wasn't a feeling he was used to.

The Pharaoh took a right down the hall, taking note of the paintings on the walls beside him. The stories of Pharaohs past were documented in colorful pictures all around him, depicting life-altering wars, famines, and droughts that his ancestors had led the Egyptian's through, the things they were known for. Atem scanned the drawings until he found the latest one, the painting that had been created not long after his father's death. Atem hadn't understood at the beginning, couldn't make sense of the odd-looking, golden artifacts that made up a good portion of his father's mural, but now that he did . . . well, he couldn't say it was a legacy his father would have been proud of.

Atem sighed, reaching out to place his palm against the painting of the Pendant. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that something so powerful would end up in his possession. He had the power to maim people, drive them mad and possibly destroy their soul. Crimson eyes glanced to the right, to the part of the wall that was untouched and would remain untouched until the day he died. Would he ever do anything in his lifetime that he would be proud to have on the wall? Atem would like to avoid a war if at all possible, and drought and famine didn't seem likely any time soon. Atem didn't really mind if he didn't do anything extravagant in his lifetime. Keeping his people content and well cared for was good enough for him.

" – illusions."

Atem paused at the sound of a hushed voice, glancing down into the darkness from which he'd come curiously. There was no movement, no sound at all, but the Pharaoh remained still, straining to listen.

"Deceptions." There it was again. "Mirages. I still do not understand how something so abstract can cause such a tragedy."

"Don't think about it too much." Atem stiffened. Now that was a voice he recognized. _Yugi. _"You'll drive yourself mad. It's easier to ignore it, believe me."

"But how can you?" A female voice responded, sounding louder this time, and Atem wasn't sure if Yugi and his companion were coming closer or if he could hear better now that his heart had practically stopped beating. "Any normal man would have ended everything by now."

"I've known since I was young, before I was brought here. The anxiety has become commonplace now. I hardly think about it anymore."

"I am still very much in awe of you, Yugi." Atem realized the female voice belonged to Isis. But why would his servant and his Priestess be talking to one another this late at night? _What are they talking about anyway? _"You haven't let this affect you as much as it should."

Yugi laughed lowly, and the sound was so dull, so lifeless, that Atem ached to be near him, to give him his natural joyfulness back. The Pharaoh didn't like the thought of being the cause of the older man's anguish. "If you truly think that, Isis, then I am more skilled a liar than I previously thought."

Atem watched silently as the shadows parted to reveal his servant and his Priestess, and the two of them jolted to a halt when they realized they weren't alone. "Pharaoh." Isis exclaimed while Yugi remained silent, regarding Atem with a melancholy expression on his face. "What are you doing out this late?"

Removing his hand slowly from the paintings on the wall, Atem replied, not allowing the weight of his thoughts to show in his voice, "I have free reign to go wherever I please, Isis. What are _you _doing out this late?"

"We were having a discussion, Pharaoh." Yugi said when Isis remained silent, taken aback by Atem's curt response. "There is much that needs to be done before your marriage ceremony."

"I see." Whatever the two of them had been discussing hadn't exactly sounded like ceremony preparations to Atem, but he chose not to say so, instead mentally preparing himself to take his leave. The social barrier that had always been between Atem and Yugi – the one they had always ignored - had reared its ugly head over the past few days, and Yugi's reserved words only reminded the Pharaoh of that fact. Reminded of their previous fight, when Atem had accused Yugi of not fighting for him, the Pharaoh found himself feeling angry once again, his resolve to fix things with Yugi right then and there diminishing into a wisp of a thought. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to retire for the night."

He turned then, forcing himself to keep his gate consistent as he walked away from Yugi and Isis, trying to disguise his urge to run from them as fast as he could. But he heard the soft footsteps behind him, keep their distance but not allowing Atem out of sight, and the Pharaoh wasn't sure if he felt relieved or exasperated that Yugi had decided to follow him. After a tense conversation like that, what was there to be said?

When Atem reached his room, he considered shutting the door behind him and not allowing Yugi to come in. Knowing the slave as well as he did, he knew Yugi wouldn't press the issue and would leave him be for the night, but the thought of spending another night alone with nothing but his thoughts and the Pendant beat out that idea quickly. The young ruler walked further into his dimly lit chamber, listening as Yugi shut the door carefully behind them, though the servant made no attempt to start a conversation. Neither did Atem, actually. Now that he was alone with Yugi, he wasn't sure what to say. This was their first real fight, so he had no previous situations to call upon for guidance.

Throwing caution to the wind, the Pharaoh turned to address Yugi, but stopped short when he actually got a good look at his lover for the first time in days. The older man had always been paler in comparison to the other residents of the palace, but his complexion now was almost ghostly. The violet irises that had once been vibrant with emotion now seemed dull as they stared at Atem, half-lidded with exhaustion and fatigue. Yugi was obviously having just as hard a time as Atem was, and the younger man wondered if he looked as haggard to Yugi as Yugi did to him.

To the young Pharaoh's horror, his eyes started to burn.

Yugi reacted almost instantly although Atem couldn't fathom how the servant had seen the tears through the darkness, walking over to stand right in front of Atem. He still had to look up somewhat to meet Yugi's gaze, but the differences in their height had lessened over the years and it was now less noticeable to everyone except the two of them. "Hey, it's okay." Yugi said hoarsely, and now that he was closer, the Pharaoh noticed how Yugi's cheeks glistened in the dim light.

"I know." Atem replied, though he really didn't. He wanted to hide in Yugi, forget about all the chaos for a while and focus on the heartbeat of the man he loved. And when Yugi reached up to cup his cheek, thumb swiping away phantom tears that he hadn't realized Atem wasn't allowing to fall, the urge only increased. "Why are you helping plan my ceremony?"

"Siamun asked me to." Yugi moaned, sliding his hand to the back of Atem's neck to pull him closer just as the Pharaoh started to reach for him. They met halfway in an embrace that was suffocating and desperate; it only became more so when Atem registered the shivers wracking Yugi's body. "He said I knew you better than anyone since I'm your personal slave, and he wanted to make sure everything was to your liking. Ahkenaden was there, Atem, there was no way I could refuse."

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't been ignoring you – "

"It doesn't matter." Yugi cut him off, and Atem swallowed thickly at the dampness starting to envelop his neck. Yugi was crying enough for the both of them. "You had every right to be upset with me. I was so focused on keeping you out of the eye of scrutiny that I didn't stop to think about your true feelings on the situation. You kept telling me, but I just wouldn't listen."

Instead of feeling triumphant that Yugi was finally seeing things his way, Atem only felt sorrowful. Yugi didn't even sound like himself, speaking through his tears and shame in a voice much higher in pitch than Atem was used to. The Pharaoh ran his fingers soothingly through Yugi's hair, wanting to make him feel better in the wake of so much sadness. "I don't _have _to marry her." Atem said slowly, desperately, if only to make Yugi understand. "It's not official until I say it is."

For once, Yugi didn't object, but from the way his grip around him tightened, Atem knew he wasn't believed. "The thought of letting you go scares me more than anything." Atem closed his eyes at Yugi's words, immersing himself in the other's presence and simply focusing on everything that Yugi was. "I thought I would be able to stomach through this, but now I know I can't. The thought of you marrying her and having her as you've had me makes me sick."

"Yugi – "

"And I _like _Anzu! She was a lovely girl, and if anyone, I'm glad it's her you're to be wed to, but I just – You're _mine_."

"I am." Atem agreed urgently, pushing further into Yugi's firm body, trying to ground him. Atem had never seen his lover so upset before, so thoroughly distraught that he couldn't even bear to look Atem in the eye. He wanted to remind the older man that he was there, that everything he was and would be, every single fragment of his being belonged completely to Yugi. He always had after all, even when they were small children that couldn't comprehend the depths of whatever it was they felt for each other, from Atem's insistence to always be together to Yugi's protective and nurturing nature. It felt nice to let someone else be in charge for a change, and it helped that Yugi was positively exquisite when in control. Atem had no qualms submitting to him. "I am, I know I am."

"This is idiotic." Yugi said after a while, his grip on Atem's body loosening somewhat. "Never in my life have I wished you weren't Pharaoh as much as I do now."

"It definitely makes things difficult." Atem replied, squeezing Yugi once before pulling away, meeting his lover's exhausted violet gaze. "But we're worth it."

"That we are." Yugi agreed, offering Atem a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, but it was a start. "I apologize that I was too scared to fight for you."

"Don't apologize. I shouldn't have gotten so upset about it. I know now that you were just being cautious. You don't have as much power as I do, as my Priests, and as much as I hate to say it, your opinion doesn't matter as much to them as it does to me. But, please, don't go against what you really think just because you're a slave. We may not be on even footing politically, but you're my partner, Yugi, and I see you as my equal even if no one else does or ever will."

Yugi sighed, though he looked so touched by Atem's words that the younger man thought his lover might start to cry again. "You know, for someone younger and less mature than I am, your word play is stupendous."

The Pharaoh grinned, recalling the time in the garden when he'd said the same thing to Yugi, with a slight variation. "Well, of course." Atem purred, thoroughly enjoying the spark of lust that was beginning to show in Yugi's eyes. "The love of the Pharaoh only deserves the absolute best."

"You're perfect." Yugi swore with conviction, slowly sliding his hands over Atem's shoulders and down his back. "And you're about the only person who can keep up with me intellect wise."

"It isn't that difficult, believe me."

"You see what I mean?"

Atem smirked, to which Yugi responded with a sly grin of his own, and the two started leaning in when, without even bothering to knock, someone burst into his chamber.

Atem growled low in his throat as Yugi pulled away, glancing over his shoulder at the intruder. "Can I help – "

Atem's barked demand was cut short when he realized who the newcomer was and registered the look on his face. "There is an intruder in the palace, Pharaoh." Mahado panted, the Millennium Ring still swaying slightly against his chest from his rush to warn them. "A man with light purple eyes and a red cloak."

"The tomb robber!" Atem exclaimed, forgetting his disappointment in Mahado in the wake of such an announcement, a fierce rage taking over. The man may have been the only surviving person after the slaughter in Kul Elna, but that didn't excuse his actions throughout the kingdom.

"Please stay here and allow us to take care of it, Pharaoh." Mahado continued. "We cannot allow anything to happen to you."

Crimson eyes widened before Mahado slammed the door, leaving as quickly as he'd appeared. Slowly, Atem glanced up at Yugi, who was still staring at the door, unmoving. All playfulness had left his amethyst gaze, and when he finally looked back to Atem, the Pharaoh grew worried. Yugi stared hard at Atem's mouth before beginning to pull away, a certain gleam present in his eyes that Atem had never seen before.

"What are you doing?" He asked nervously.

"I need to go warn Jou, Honda, and Mai." The slave responded lowly. "They're cleaning the Grand Hall right now. If they come in contact with the tomb robber, he'll kill them."

"Someone else will surely – "

"You stay here."

" . . . _What?_"

"Atem, don't make me repeat myself."

"There is no way I'm staying behind while that thief trespasses in my home!" Atem exclaimed, reaching up absentmindedly to touch the Pendant. "I'll take care of him."

"Absolutely not." Yugi snapped, glaring at Atem in a manner that the Pharaoh had no trouble matching. "It's you he's after. Let the Priests handle him."

"And what if he finds you?" Atem demanded, panic starting to set in as Yugi pulled away completely, turning to walk out the door, to leave him. "He knows what you are to me, he'll kill you if he gets the chance!"

When Yugi didn't respond, Atem lunged forward and grabbed hold of the older man's wrist, honing in on the pulse there and focusing his thoughts. He had to be rational about this if he wanted to convince Yugi to stay. "If you leave, don't think I won't follow. As ruler of this country, it's my duty to protect the ones in it, and that includes you, Yugi. I cannot sit by and watch as – "

Yugi ripped his wrist out of Atem's grasp and spun around, a fierce sort of light present in his eyes as he grabbed Atem's face and pulled him into a bruising kiss that was all tongue and held absolutely no reserve whatsoever. The Pharaoh gasped into the kiss as Yugi's hands left his face, going immediately to the backs of his thighs and pulling, yanking the surprised Pharaoh up and into his arms, encouraging the younger man to wrap his legs around his waist.

Atem could do nothing except respond to Yugi's eager kisses and run his trembling fingers over Yugi's face hesitantly, realizing that his lover's cheeks were damp with hot tears once more. "Yugi." Atem tried to say, but the sound was replaced by a loud moan when Yugi bit into his bottom lip harshly, effectively silencing the Pharaoh as he started to walk back towards the bed.

Atem found himself being unceremoniously dumped onto the bedding, barely receiving a moment to catch his breath before Yugi was upon him again, kissing him so harshly their teeth knocked together, jarring Atem back into awareness. The Pharaoh couldn't deny that he was enjoying the closeness after so many days apart, but something seemed off about Yugi. This whole thing felt wrong somehow. Atem arched with a broken cry into Yugi's pressing mouth as the slave forced a knee between Atem's legs, rubbing against the erection that Atem had been previously trying to ignore.

Managing to gain some control over his arms, the Pharaoh worked them in between their heated bodies, pressing his palms flat against Yugi's chest in an attempt to push the older man away. The nagging feeling in the back of his head that this was wrong, completely wrong, wouldn't leave Atem to his peace, wouldn't let him enjoy this. Yugi was never this forceful with him, not even when his arousal took complete control. Atem was convinced that something was wrong even more when Yugi grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head as he continued with his fevered pressing against Atem's mouth and groin.

When Yugi finally pulled away, Atem opened his mouth to say something, to question his companion's actions, but Yugi placed a hand firmly over Atem's mouth, silencing him yet again. "I'm sorry." Atem stared, transfixed and slightly frightened, as Yugi spoke, his voice thick from his tears. The crystalline drops slid off Yugi's chin and landed just beside Atem's crimson orbs, sliding down his temples as if he were the one weeping and not the man above him. "I'm so sorry, Atem. I don't know what else to do. You're too stubborn to reason with, and I really need you to listen."

Atem huffed against Yugi's palm, but Yugi didn't smile. "I love you, so much." Yugi continued, startling Atem. Of all the things Yugi could have said in this situation, with tears streaming down his face and sorrow in his eyes, why a declaration of love? "No matter what happens, just know that okay? Don't ever forget."

The slave stopped to cough out a strangled sob, and Atem's eyes widened, starting to burn once more. What was wrong with Yugi? More tears landed on Atem's face, and Yugi looked like he wanted to wipe them off but refused to relinquish his hold on Atem's arms, which were beginning to grow numb. "I'd do it all again if given the option. I'd willingly offer myself up to your father had my parents not given me up if I knew you'd be there waiting, ready to give up your first word to me. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Atem. Please . . . don't ever doubt that."

And before Atem could even register all that was said, the knee between his legs and the hands around his wrists and over his mouth disappeared. The Pharaoh lay there for a moment, stunned, feeling cold and bare without Yugi looming over him. Staring at the ceiling, Atem processed what he'd been told, all that Yugi had revealed. It had sounded as if . . . as if . . .

As if Yugi had been saying goodbye.

"Yugi!" Atem gasped, wrenching himself up into a sitting position, one tingling arm outstretched to pull his lover back to him, but it was too late.

Yugi was already gone.

* * *

_A.N. _I'm such a troll.


	15. Year Fifteen: Farewell Part II

_Author's Note: _I suggest venting out your hatred for me in the reviews or whatever. I won't blame you. I'm pretty pissed my subconscious comes up with this stuff. I love Yugi and Atem! I want them to be together! So, why am I thinking about sad crap when it comes to them? Any who, continue on and don't be afraid of hurting my feelings when this is over. I hate me too.

Next update will be Tuesday!

* * *

**Year Fifteen: Farewell Part II**

* * *

Yugi's hurried footsteps had long since faded into an echo of a thought, and still, Atem had yet to move.

The Pharaoh had grown anxious over things, got nervous sometimes just like any other human being, but never had he become so completely overtaken by those emotions that he couldn't even bring himself to move.

The Pharaoh wasn't sure how long he stared after Yugi, arm still outstretched to grab the slave before he managed to escape. Lips tingling and erection quickly becoming a thing of the past, Atem stared at the open door, unable to believe that Yugi had managed to evade him so quickly. What had even spooked him so badly that forced him to offer what had sounded like a farewell and then bolt from the room? But no matter Yugi's reasoning, Atem wasn't going to allow him to wander around when the entire palace was in a state of panic. If the tomb robber managed to get a hold of Yugi . . . who knew what kind of torture he would inflict upon the slave simply because he was Atem's lover?

Pushing himself off the bed, Atem stumbled over to the door and then took off down the corridor in the direction of the grand hall, praying to the gods that he reached Yugi before the tomb robber did. Blood roared in the Pharaoh's ears as he raced through the darkness, passing a multitude of guards and ignoring their calls as they asked what was the matter or why he had left his room. Those guards couldn't order him to stay anywhere, especially when his loved ones were in danger. Mahado and Yugi were surely mistaken if they thought he would simply sit in his room like a damsel as everyone else dealt with the intruder. This was his palace, his kingdom, and he would be damned if he allowed anyone to fight his battles for him.

Atem was running so fast he barely had time to stop when he saw another person round the corner, and the two of them collided in a painful mesh of jewelry and hard bone. Atem managed to stay upright, clutching at the side of his head as he hissed in pain, though the other was sprawled out on the floor. "Ouch." Mana moaned, raising a hand to her cheek and moving her jaw slightly. "I always knew you were hard-headed, Atem, but _sheesh!_"

"Oh, Mana, I'm sorry!" Atem said quickly, hauling his friend to her feet gently and checking her over for injuries. "I couldn't stop when I saw you."

"Yeah, no kidding." His friend snorted, shooing away his worrying hands as she smoothed out her dress. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"The grand hall. Yugi said he was going there to find Jounouchi, Honda, and Mai and then he just ran off! Did you see him?"

"No, I didn't." Mana replied, emerald eyes glazing with worry. "Mahado warned me about the tomb robber. He told me to stay put while everyone else dealt with it, but there was no way I was going to stay behind. I was actually on my way to find you and Yugi. Do you think the tomb robber will hurt Yugi if he finds him?"

"That's what I'm worried about." Atem said grimly, grabbing Mana's hand and urging her to follow him down the hall. "Come with me. I'll protect you if something happens."

Mana nodded and the two ran down the hall together once more. Atem noticed his friend's slight limp and felt guilty for running into her, though his desperation to get to Yugi wouldn't allow him to slow the pace.

Upon reaching their destination, Atem spotted someone who could help him immediately. His approach was less than ideal, however, as he stalked up to the blond slave and spun him around, fisting the front of his tunic and yanking him close. "Where is Yugi?"

"Pharaoh!" Jounouchi's honey-brown eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the younger man, shifting his gaze to Mana for a few seconds before refocusing his attention. Atem would have found his slight look of fear amusing if the situation weren't so dire. "Eh, what?"

"He asked where Yugi is." Mana said, much calmer than Atem. "He said he was on his way here to find you, Honda, and Mai."

"He said you were cleaning the hall." Atem snapped. "Now where is he?"

Jounouchi actually looked confused. "Huh? Well, I was scrubbing the floor a bit, but Honda and Mai are back at our room. Yugi shouldn't have known about that, it was a spur of the moment type of thing. Sorry, Pharaoh, I don't know where he disappeared to. Isn't he always with you?"

Atem released the blond's tunic. So, Yugi had lied to him. But why? "He was coming to warn you that the tomb robber was in the palace." Mana explained. "Do you think maybe he went back to your room to find Honda and Mai?"

Jounouchi nodded, eyes narrowed in thought. "Yeah. Honda and I can take care of ourselves, but Mai's more vulnerable. She uses her body to get out of scraps more often than not. Yugi knows this better than anybody. I don't think that tactic would work on a notorious robber."

"Probably not – Hey, Atem, where are you going?" Mana called as Atem turned and began to run back where they had come. "We have to stay together!"

"Take Jounouchi and go find Mahado and the others!" Atem replied over his shoulder. "I'm going to their room to find Yugi."

He couldn't make sense of it. Why had Yugi lied to Atem about where he was going? To ensure that the Pharaoh didn't follow him, wherever he was going? It was just like Yugi to not allow Atem to protect him in situations like these, but didn't Yugi know better? Atem wouldn't sit by knowing that his lover was in danger. Yugi would have been better of tying Atem to his bed!

Atem had only been inside the slaves' quarters once, back when he was a child and he had overheard Honda and Jounouchi teasing Yugi and had burst into the room uninvited, but he had memorized the route by heart in case of situations like these. When he burst through the door, the sight before him made his blood run cold.

Red. It was all he saw at first, the red cloak that he had only seen once before, in the throne room in the midst of his first fight with Yugi. Then he noticed the color dripping off the thief's fingers, pooling on the floor, and again on the body lying lifelessly behind the lavender-eyed man. Atem stared. _No. _

The figure turned, giving Atem a full view of the bloodied body on the floor. Exposed, once pale skin was now bruised and spattered in crimson, limbs splayed out at awkward angles, throat cut, and violet eyes wide and unseeing. Dead. The Pharaoh slid his gaze from the familiar corpse to the murderer, crimson eyes wild with malicious intent. "Why have you done this?" He demanded, giving the thief a chance to speak before he paid dearly for his actions. Atem was screaming internally, broken, confused, and upset as he realized that his lover had been killed despite his efforts to reach him. It had all been for nothing.

The thief watched Atem, and while most of his body was obscured in shadow, Atem could see his face perfectly, and the smug smile that spread across the man's face infuriated the Pharaoh to levels previously unknown. The Pendant pulsed against Atem's chest and, without being summoned, the shadows bore down on the thief turned murderer. The Pharaoh watched with a cold satisfaction as the powers of his Millennium Item wreaked havoc on the tomb robber's body. Some moved from one opening of his body to another, others creating their own means of entrance. Atem could feel their energy, their excitement and anger. Creatures – _things_ – like them shouldn't have had human emotions, but they fed off of him and his feelings. They were reacting to his pain at losing Yugi and were frenzied in their work as they picked at the thief's mind.

Being as in tune with them as he was, Atem almost felt as if he were the one tearing angrily at the man's soul. He wished he were.

Strangely enough, the thief made no sound as the shadows attacked. A sound did escape his mouth at one point, but it was cut off before Atem could fully register it. He fell to the floor after a few moments of tense silence, during which Atem refocused on Yugi's body, wondering why; why had Yugi been taken from him now, at only nineteen? It wasn't fair, wasn't right, and Atem wasn't going to allow the perpetrator to escape unscathed.

Breathing heavily, Atem glared at the thief's twitching form lying prone on the floor as the last of the shadows retreated back to him. Instead of fleeing back into the Pendant, the tendrils remained at his side, sliding over his body and wrapping around his arms and legs like the snakes they sometimes resembled. The Pharaoh paid them no mind, intent on watching the life leave the body of the one who had murdered Yugi. He would grieve, allow the tears to fall later, but for now, he held on to the last shreds of rage that had overcome him when he saw his lover's lifeless body on the floor.

But as the Pharaoh continued to watch, something odd happened. His vision began to grow fuzzy, white spots appearing in the corners of his eyes, and the young royal blinked, shaking his head to hopefully clear his sight as well as his mind. When he opened his eyes again, however, the thief's body was gone. Yugi's was still there, but in the place where his murderer's had been, lying in the exact same position the tomb robber had been in when he fell under the weight of the shadow's torment. The cut around the slave's throat was gone, as was the blood staining his porcelain skin, and as Atem looked closer, he realized Yugi's chest was rising and falling shallowly with every breath he took.

Atem's jaw became slack and the shadows tightened around his limbs before releasing him as he lurched forward, retreating back into the Pendant as the confused Pharaoh began to approach the fallen man. But as soon as the shadows were gone, Yugi's eyes popped open, and he lurched upward with a shriek of fright, hands flying to bury themselves in his tricolor hair. "Yugi!" Atem cried, extending a hand to his lover helplessly. "Yugi, are you hurt?"

The older man didn't respond immediately, violet eyes wild with a feral sort of light that Atem had only seen once before, two years ago, in the bowels of the dungeon. "The dark." Atem had to strain to hear what Yugi was saying, the man's voice so low and raspy he didn't even sound like his usual self. "It's here."

Atem was perplexed. "Yugi – "

The slave started at the sound of Atem's voice, head snapping up to stare into crimson eyes that were positively filled to the brim with fright. The two watched one another, neither willing to make a move until the other did first, but eventually, Atem grew desperate to make sure his lover was okay, and he took a step forward. Yugi reacted instantly, shrieking like a wild animal and removing his hands from his hair to crawl backwards and away from Atem, another sound escaping his mouth that almost sounded like a hiss. "Stay back!" Yugi spat when Atem took another step forward. "Don't touch me, demon!"

The Pharaoh inhaled sharply, tears beginning to sting his eyes. "Yugi, I – It's me, Atem." He said quietly, not wanting to startle the other man even more than he already had.

"Ha!" Yugi barked, crossing his legs and hunching over though his gaze never left Atem's. "Say whatever you want, demon, you can't fool me! I have sex with the Pharaoh almost every night, I think _I _would know what he looks like." Atem flinched, and Yugi grinned a sadistic smile before beginning to scratch at his arms furiously.

"No, Yugi, don't!" Atem shouted, horrified with how familiar this scene was to him. It was his worst nightmare come true, and Atem thought he was going to be sick. "You'll hurt yourself."

"Better me than you!" Yugi cackled, but Atem saw through the front, could see the pain and fear underneath. The Pharaoh had seen this all before. Yugi would yell and taunt him first, but then slowly, the madness would start to take over. He wasn't sure how it had happened, what was going on within his mind that had possibly made him mistake Yugi for the tomb robber, but it was already too late.

"What do I do?" Atem whispered, glancing down at the Pendant for a brief moment before looking back to Yugi. "How do I fix this?"

"What did you do to me?" Yugi demanded, a fine tremor present in his voice as his movements picked up speed, leaving angry red trails up and down his arms. "There's something in here, what did you do?"

"There is nothing – "

"Lies!" Yugi spat furiously. "Get it out, get it _out!_"

Atem dashed to Yugi's side as the crazed man finally broke through his skin, blood welling up around the gashes as Yugi raised his arms up to inspect the wounds, trying to find whatever it was he had convinced himself was dwelling beneath his skin. The slave panicked when he realized Atem had moved again, crying out in terror, spitting, "Stay back, stay back!"

"I won't!" Atem snapped reaching out to grab Yugi's left arm by the wrist as the slave tried to strike him. "I won't let you hurt yourself."

"Get it out." Yugi whimpered, fingers starting to twitch before the tremors slowly spread to the rest of his arm as well. No other part of his body seemed to be afflicted at the moment. "It's moving."

"Where is it?" Atem asked softly, trying to put Yugi at ease. He may have been calm now, but Atem was just waiting for the barrier within Yugi's mind to break. He was sane enough now, but within a few minutes, the man he loved was going to disappear. The Pharaoh would've given anything to know how to reverse the effects of the shadows, take away his lover's pain and revert him back to his old self, but as of now, he was helpless. Yugi was suffering because of him – even though he still couldn't comprehend how it had happened – and Atem was going to try to make this as painless a process as possible.

The inevitable outcome of this encounter still hadn't completely settled within Atem's mind.

"Everywhere!" Yugi cried, starting to struggle again. "Let me go. Whatever you do to me, Atem will do to you tenfold!"

"I'm here, Yugi." Atem tried once more, but that only seemed to infuriate the slave, who bared his teeth in a silent snarl, rearing his right arm back before striking Atem across the face, scoring his already bloodied nails across the bronzed skin of the younger man's cheek.

Ignoring the searing pain in his face, Atem dove for Yugi as the older man tried to crawl away on his hands and knees, tackling the servant before he managed to get too far. "Cease this at once!" Atem barked, straddling the back of the man's hips and pinning his shoulders to the ground as he viciously thrashed about. It was now obvious to the Pharaoh that kind words and gentle gestures weren't going to calm Yugi down. The best he could do was keep him from doing more harm to himself until the Priests found them.

Yugi turned his head with a breathy giggle, pressing his left cheek flush against the floor as he peered up at Atem with a single, violet eye. "Oh, I see now. You want something from me, don't you?"

It wouldn't take an intellect to understand just what Yugi was referring to. "That is not – "

Before Atem even had a moment to blink, he was on his back with his arms pinned high above his head, Yugi hovering above him with a devious smirk on his face. Their positions now mirrored the ones they had been in not too long ago, back when Yugi was still himself, but Atem wasn't going to allow himself to be distracted. Not this time. "No one would ever think so, but the Pharaoh derives some sort of intense pleasure from being dominated. I have become quite efficient in my administrations." Yugi purred. "Do you want me to take you as I do him? Is that what it will take to get you to leave me alone?"

"I do not want that from you." Atem replied evenly, though the sight of Yugi acting as if he were nothing but a brazen whore made his stomach squirm uncomfortably, bringing up memories that Atem would rather leave buried. "I only wish for you to calm yourself."

"Puh!" Yugi scoffed, glaring down at the Pharaoh with so much hate the man began to wonder if he would ever get his lover back. "Like I would believe that. You demons are a crafty sort."

"How do you know that?" Atem countered, trying to keep the conversation going.

"How would _I _know?" And suddenly Yugi was angry again, digging his nails into Atem's wrists and leaning down slightly to hiss in the Pharaoh's face. "Believe me, I know about you. You sent that woman to me, did you not? You thought it would be amusing to watch my life fall to shambles because of a single person that I stupidly took pity on. Do you not understand how different my life would be if she had never come? Do you even have an _inkling _of all the pain and suffering your kind caused my friends and family?"

More than a little confused, Atem stared up at Yugi with a slack jaw. What was he talking about? What woman had ruined Yugi's life as much as he said she did?

"I thought she was sent by the gods as a means to bring me closer to Atem." Yugi continued, furious violet eyes glazing over with sadness for a heartbeat before becoming wild once more. "But now I know. The gods did not send her to me; it was _you._" Yugi broke off with a shout of utter frustration, releasing Atem's wrist to sit back on the Pharaoh's hips and tear at his arms once more. "Get it to stop – "

Atem surged, taking advantage of Yugi's momentary lapse of attention and knocking the man off his hips, resuming their earlier fight in an attempt to get Yugi back under his control. When the dust cleared, Atem had managed to wrap the slave up in his arms with Yugi's back against his chest, arms locked firmly around the older man's chest and pinning his arms to his sides. Yugi thrashed in Atem's hold, snarling and spitting in an attempt to free himself. Atem ground his teeth to hold in a cry of pain as Yugi sunk his teeth into his right forearm, pressing his forehead against the back of Yugi's sweaty neck and closing his eyes. Focusing on the man's erratic heartbeat, the Pharaoh squeezed Yugi tighter as if trying to force the effects of the shadows out of his body.

_Please. Stop this madness. I never intended for this to happen to him of all people. _But of course, the shadows did not listen. They were not benevolent. They did not show mercy. It mattered not if Yugi meant everything to Atem, if the shadows got a hold of him, they were not going to release him. The Pendant, having been pushed to the side and hanging at the seam where their bodies met, remained unresponsive to Atem's silent plea.

The ordeal seemed to reach its peak as Yugi suddenly arched against Atem, releasing the Pharaoh's throbbing arm from his mouth and screaming so loudly that Atem almost released his hold in his own shock. But he forced himself to stay firm, keeping his eyes firmly shut as Yugi convulsed against him, head tipped back over the Pharaoh's shoulder so the guttural cries sounded directly in his ear. His heart gave a tug, his eyes burned behind the lids, and his body trembled as Yugi's cries became hoarse and broken, desperate, as if the man were fighting for his life.

Then it all stopped.

Left ear ringing from the close proximity of Yugi's screams, Atem sat still for a moment as silence enveloped the room, breathing hard in an attempt to calm his own heartbeat. Yugi was breathing raggedly in his arms, head lolled to the side so his face was pressed against Atem's neck, and for a brief moment, the Pharaoh wondered if perhaps the shadows had heard his plea and had recalled their vengeful wrath. Atem swallowed thickly, loosening his hold on Yugi slightly. The man didn't move, and Atem readjusted the prone body in his lap, using the arm Yugi had mauled to prop up the servant's neck and shoulders while the other took the Millennium Pendant and tossed it aside before wrapping around Yugi's middle. "Yugi?" Atem said cautiously, though there was no reaction.

Yugi had gone from distrustful and irate to silent and pliant in a matter of moments, and Atem had no idea why all fight had suddenly left him. As the Pharaoh observed his lover's face, he looked past the blood flecking the servant's lips and focused on his eyes, noticing that while the violet irises were still visible, they were staring straight ahead and were clouded. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of the man's chest, Atem would have thought Yugi was dead.

But he was alive for now, and Atem was determined to make sure it stayed that way. "Yugi, please, don't die now." The Pharaoh knew he had no right to ask Yugi to stay, for he was the one who had put him in such a critical condition, unknowingly, perhaps, but he had done it all the same. He was still in shock, truthfully. This whole ordeal seemed like a terrible dream that Atem could not wake up from. How could he have mistaken Yugi for the tomb robber? Had he hallucinated in his own fear for Yugi's life? He could not make sense of it; there was no logical reason to explain why Atem had done what he had.

"You're stronger than the shadows." Atem continued, reaching up to push a piece of blond hair away from Yugi's eyes. The man blinked sluggishly in response to the Pharaoh's touch. "Your mere presence was enough to chase my fears about them away. If the shadows are the darkness, then you are the light, Yugi, come on, stay with me!"

"Don't say my name." Atem started slightly as Yugi began to mumble, slumping even more in his arms. "It's sickening."

"I know you don't believe me," Yugi groaned as Atem hefted him up higher in his embrace so Yugi's head was resting by his bare clavicle. The Pharaoh knew Yugi couldn't see it was him, couldn't recognize his voice, but they had lain together in positions similar to this before. If Yugi could recognize him by his body, then perhaps they could make progress. "But I am Pharaoh Atem. I love you, and you're not alone, Yugi. I'm so, _so _sorry for doing this to you."

Yugi coughed weakly, pushing his face into Atem's heated skin, and for a moment, the younger man wondered if he had broken through to his lover. But then Yugi spoke. "You feel like him. You talk to me as if you were him, like you care, but I know better. You're trying to lull me into a false sense of security by pretending to be him. But do what you will with me, demon. I'm tired."

Atem realized it then. Yugi was completely lost to him. Gone. Forever. And there was nothing he could do.

"Pharaoh." When Atem looked to the entryway, Akhenaden was there, watching him, having appeared almost out of nowhere. The young man tensed and held Yugi tighter as if his uncle was going to try and take him away, but the High Priest gave Atem a small, reassuring smile – something Atem had never seen in his life – and moved forward until he was at Atem's side. "What happened here?"

Yugi whimpered slightly in Atem's arms, and the Pharaoh hushed him, running his thumb over one of the injured arms that were lying uselessly in Yugi's lap. "I turned the shadows loose on him, Uncle. I cannot tell you why, because even I do not know."

"You need not explain." Akhenaden replied, kneeling down beside Atem and observing Yugi's lax form critically. "We will fix this."

"Can you save him?"

The look Akhenaden gave the young Pharaoh in response to his plea was one of pity. "We know of no possible way to negate the effects the Millennium Items may have on a person. It pains me to say this to you now, Atem, but your slave cannot be saved."

"Atem, are you – " It seemed Mana had managed to track down Isis, Mahado, Seto, Karim, and Siamun and had led them to the slave's quarters just as Atem had instructed. Mana ran into the room, but stopped short when she noticed the three of them huddled on the floor. "Oh, my – what happened? What's wrong with Yugi?"

"There has been an accident." Akhenaden explained, pushing himself up and leaving Atem to come to terms with his uncle's words on his own. He had known beforehand that there was no way Yugi could survive this. If Yugi didn't end up killing himself, then he would die of blood loss. Atem was going to lose the most important person in his life, and there was nothing he could do. _What is all this power worth if I cannot do the things I want most? _"Atem turned the shadows loose on Yugi."

"I thought he was the tomb robber." Atem said wretchedly, dragging his gaze away from Yugi's face to look at Mana, whose emerald eyes were wide with horror as she learned just what her friend had done. The Pharaoh was fairly disgusted in himself as well.

"We have yet to find the tomb robber." Mahado told Atem, diverging completely from the matter at hand, though the Pharaoh knew what his friend was thinking. How could he possibly mistake his lover for the man who broke into his father's tomb? "You are still in danger, Pharaoh."

"We must plan a course of action." Akhenaden interrupted, wiping away Yugi's blood, which had gotten on his robes when he knelt on the floor. Atem was practically sitting in the substance by now. He was surprised by how fast Yugi was losing blood. Those scratches hadn't seemed that deep a few moments ago. "The blame for this man's death cannot fall on our Pharaoh."

Atem opened his mouth to protest, to say that there was no way he would lie about this, pretend that he hadn't done anything wrong, but Seto shot his younger cousin a warning look, urging him to stay silent. "We could say the tomb robber did it." Karim suggested. He had always been loyal to the Pharaoh and would do anything to make sure he was safe and out of the eye of scrutiny, just as Yugi had always done.

"Now hold on just a moment." Siamun said firmly. "We cannot place the blame on an innocent man! A King must take responsibility for his actions, Ahkenaden. If your brother were still alive, he would wish for Atem to face the repercussions that come along this."

"But it was an accident." Akhenaden reminded them. "Atem was on his guard and it was dark. Perhaps Yugi approached him in that too familiar way of his and startled Atem. The shadows may have reacted to his surprise and protected him as they saw necessary."

Atem wanted to shout that that was not the case, that he had knowingly called upon the shadows. There was something seriously wrong within his mind if he had hallucinated the tomb robber's presence, and if this was going to happen again, he wanted everyone to know that he had done it, that he killed Yugi, if only so they could help him. But a breathe against his ear stopped him. "Kill me." Yugi whispered, so softly that none of the Priests even noticed he was alert once more. His words tore the Pharaoh apart inside, for they were his worst nightmare come true. "Please. If you mean what you say, that you want to help, just kill me."

"No." Atem said loudly in response, startling Siamun and Akhenaden and forcing their attentions away from their debate and back to the broken Pharaoh and his half-dead lover. "I won't."

Yugi's amethyst eyes were alive and vibrant once more, but Atem wasn't sure how long it would last. "I'm as good as dead anyway." To Atem's horror, the slave was beginning to cry. He was panicking, and in doing so, Yugi pulled Atem down with him. "Listen to your kin, they know it as well as I do. Just kill me before – before – "

"Yugi?" Atem demanded when the other fell silent, desperation coursing through him when his body spasmed and yet again fell limp. "Yugi, stay with me!"

"Perhaps you should do as he says, Atem." Mahado said gently, dark eyes swimming with emotion as he reached out and grabbed hold of Mana's shoulder when she took a step toward Atem. "Look at him, he is suffering."

"I cannot bring myself to do it, Mahado."

"Then perhaps you should let us – "

"Absolutely not." Atem snarled, crimson eyes narrowed in anger as he glared at his older friend. "No one touches him!"

"We had to kill the other one." Mahado shot back. "He would've continued on in agony, Pharaoh. Do you want the same for Yugi?" When Atem looked away, refusing to answer, the Priest continued. "That man begged us to kill him as well. He was more injured than Yugi is, but was presumably in just as much pain. Atem, the shadows do something to living beings. They make them something less than real, less than human. I cannot explain it to you for I barely understand myself, but even if you keep Yugi under lockdown for the rest of his life, he will not be the person you once knew. He'll live the rest of his days trapped in an illusion where you are a distant memory and every person he meets is trying to kill him. Ending his life now would be merciful!"

"Mahado, cease." Siamun ordered, holding up a hand. "The Pharaoh has given you his decision."

Mahado made some counterargument, but Atem was barely listening, thinking about a time or a place where Yugi didn't know who he was, didn't love him as he had before. He never really had to want for anything. Born into royalty, he had wealth, power, and the finest clothes and foods; even Yugi had tumbled into his possession as a child and into his bed as a teenager without him ever really having to work for it. He had taken Yugi for granted, demanded his companionship as a child and always expected him to be there, but it seemed as if the one thing Atem so desperately wanted – Yugi's survival – was out of his reach.

It was then that Atem realized Isis was watching him. While the others – Mana included – bickered amongst themselves, she was the only one that held back, stood apart from the others and watched Atem with a look so sullen it almost startled the Pharaoh.

His Priestess looked guilty.

Her words from earlier echoed in his mind.

_Illusions._

_Mirages._

_Deceptions._

"_The Eye gives me the power to manipulate what a person sees. That is why you never noticed anything was different about me, Atem. I apologize for deceiving you."_

"Ahkenaden, you – " The High Priest turned as Atem spoke, though the Pharaoh was still watching Isis. "You – tricked me."

"Pardon, Pharaoh?"

"You used the Millennium Eye and made me think Yugi was the tomb robber." It made sense to Atem. It tied together loose ends within the Pharaoh's mind at the very least. "You distorted my perception of reality. The blood, Yugi's dead body . . . it was an illusion."

Ahkenaden, for his part, did not react badly to the accusation. "Now why would I do that, Nephew? I have only ever had your best interests at heart."

A lot of people had told Atem that lately, but when his uncle said it, the phrase took on an entirely different meaning. The Pharaoh only saw malicious intent, thinking back to when a child and his uncle never showed concern for him. It had always been Aknamkanon that the High Priest had cared for, had talked to, insisting that Seto was more suited to be Pharaoh then Atem. When his brother died, Ahkenaden finally paid attention to Atem. For as long as Atem could remember, his uncle had only been looking out for himself. Atem had no real evidence to support his claim, but it made sense. Akhenaden had been the first on the scene. He hadn't seemed alarmed or questioned Atem as to why he thought he had seen the tomb robber.

"Defend yourself at a later date, Akhenaden." Atem said coldly. "Karim, Seto, apprehend him."

Neither of them hesitated to move forward, not even Seto, who was being ordered to take his own father into custody, and that alone spoke volumes to Atem. But before the two of them could even get close to Akhenaden, everything was suddenly slammed into darkness for Atem. Judging by the shouts of surprise from the others, the same thing had happened to them, though while they were calling to each other, Atem remained silent. He turned his head slightly, towards where he figured Yugi's face to be, and leaned down so they were cheek to cheek.

If Atem's hunch was correct, Yugi had been caught in the middle of a quarrel years in the making. Atem couldn't help but think that if Yugi had never been brought to him, if he had forced his lover to go home when he had offered him his freedom, none of this would have happened. The man the Pharaoh had come to love was now forever out of his reach, trapped in his own mind, and they could never be together as they were before. Had Yugi known this would happen? It explained the tearful goodbye. But why hadn't he said anything? And more importantly, how had he even figured out about what Akhenaden was planning?

In the end, it didn't really matter. Atem and Yugi had been played, and while they both paid the price, Atem's loss wasn't as dire, but it was just as permanent.

He hadn't even been able to say a proper goodbye.

The dizziness from earlier began to plague Atem once more, and the white spots appeared when he opened his eyes before the darkness dissipated and he could see again. But upon first inspection of the room, he realized Akhenaden was gone.

"He used the Eye on us!" Karim exclaimed in a rage, glancing out into the dimly lit hall. "That vile, wretched – "

"Calm yourself, Karim." Siamun said quietly, and Atem sighed, glancing down at Yugi's form, sucking in a breath when he noticed his lover's eyes.

They were completely blank, clouded, like before, but this time there seemed to be a finality to it that hadn't been there before. Yugi looked dead for real, but his heart was still beating; slowly and inconsistently, but still beating. "Atem, what is it?" Mana asked at Atem's noise of distress.

"It's Yugi." He replied, palming his lover's face in a futile attempt to revive him. Even listening to his pleas for Atem to murder him was better than this silence. "His eyes, he looks – they look – "

"Soulless? Empty?"

"Isis, what do you know?" Atem demanded, infuriated with himself when his voice cracked halfway through the sentence.

Isis closed her eyes and bowed her head, almost seeming to have an internal battle with herself before she straightened and focused determined, sapphire eyes on Atem. "I promised Yugi I would not say anything, but I do not think he would mind now."

"Isis." Mana said, surprised.

"Two years ago, I received a vision." The dark-haired Priestess explained, diving straight into her tale. "It depicted what happened in this room, Pharaoh, up until the moment when a life was lost. I saw Akhenaden stand by as you turned on Yugi. He was here the whole time, Pharaoh, you just could not see him. I receive knowledge when I witness a vision. I know what is happening even if the ones experiencing it did not. When you summoned the shadows, they not only drove Yugi to the edge of insanity, but they also consumed his soul."

"His soul?"

Isis nodded. "The shadows have gained more power since the last time they were called upon; they grew as you did. In response to your anger at the fake tomb robber for murdering Yugi, the shadows attacked. But Akhenaden made you think that Yugi was the tomb robber."

"Why was I never told of this?"

"I went to Yugi first, to warn him, for it was his life at stake. But – " Isis paused, hesitated, then sighed. "Yugi told me that when he was younger, he met a woman that told him that someday he would die, killed by the ones he loved most. Yugi knew that he would die long before the Millennium Items were even a thought. He told me not to tell you, Pharaoh, and not to try and change the future. I promised him I wouldn't say a word until the vision came to be. I am sorry."

Atem was shocked into silence. All this time . . . all these years, Yugi had _known _this would happen? Atem felt ill. How had Yugi felt when Atem burst into the room and the shadows were summoned? Had he realized his lover would be the one to kill him after speculating it for years? _Oh, Yugi. _"Oh, gods." Mana choked out, sinking to her knees beside Mahado with her hands pressed against her mouth. "I never knew, I – I should have said something!"

"What are you talking about, Mana?" Mahado asked, concerned.

"Akhenaden beat Yugi a few weeks ago." Mana admitted wretchedly, glancing over at Seto, emerald eyes wet. "Yugi was badly injured, and he told me while I was treating his wounds that he was scared. I didn't press the issue, and he told me not to tell Atem. If Seto and I had said something, maybe we could have found out about what Akhenaden was planning, understood how much he hated Yugi – "

"No, Mana." Isis said. "This could not have been prevented, for it was foretold. The only thing I do not know is why Ahkenaden did this. He is a truly evil human being, and the Tauk is only as powerful as its wielder. I could not fathom such darkness, such evil, malicious intent, and therefore I could not see it."

The Pharaoh was gone then, lost in his own head as he tried to make sense of it all. Yugi had known he would die and had never said anything to him, never once let on that something was amiss until his tearful goodbye. All those times they had discussed death with each other, when Yugi insisted he marry Anzu . . . it had all been in preparation for the day when Yugi would suddenly disappear from Atem's life. How many times had Yugi lied to him over the years to hide it? Atem didn't want to think about it. "How is his heart still beating if he no longer has a soul?" Atem asked quietly.

"It is slowly slipping away, Pharaoh." Isis replied solemnly. "Once it is completely gone, he will die."

Silence greeted the Priestess's words. Even Mana, who was obviously struggling to keep from crying, was silent as she watched Atem, gauging his reaction. The Pharaoh looked at each of his Priests in turn before looking to Yugi once more. The face he had known since his childhood looked so different, unfamiliar, and unnaturally pale as Yugi's life slowly ebbed out of him. Atem was furious at Yugi, at Isis, Akhenaden, Mana, Seto, and himself. He had known the Millennium Items were dangerous, what they had done and what they were capable of, yet he had done nothing. His dreams had told him all he needed to know, and he never acted. Now it was too late. Yugi was almost gone, and it was Atem's fault. Yugi had lied to him, deceived him, strung him along even knowing what they had would never last, but Atem couldn't bring himself to hate Yugi, his servant, friend, and lover.

Atem had lied to Yugi as well, after all.

The young Pharaoh finally allowed his tears to fall as Yugi's heart stopped beating.

And as the Pharaoh grieved the loss of his lover, the last remaining tendril of smoke seeped out of one of the cuts on Yugi's arm, sliding down the dead man's body and onto the blood spattered floor, creeping back into the safety of the Pendant, a silent killer, unnoticed by all.

* * *

_A.N. _Have mercy on my poor puzzleshipper's soul.


	16. Year Fifteen: Farewell Part III

_Author's Note:_ So, how's everyone holding up? Still hating my guts? That's good. You'll probably hate me more after you start this chapter. Or at the very least be shocked . . . happy, maybe?

Enjoy, my lovelies!

* * *

**Year Fifteen: Farewell Part III  
**

* * *

The palace was quiet.

It wasn't something Mana was used to, walking down the corridors on her own and not hearing a single voice. If she didn't know any better, she would think that the entire palace was dead, and not just a single man whose fate had been predetermined when he was a small child. Mana had shed many tears in the weeks following that horrific night when Akhenaden had tricked Atem into banishing Yugi's soul in an attempt to knock the Pharaoh off balance, and even now, her eyes felt hot and heavy. So many things had gone wrong in so little time, and everyone was feeling the repercussions.

Seto had used the power of the Rod to force Akhenaden to admit to everything he had done, including his reasoning behind forging the Millennium Items, beating Yugi, executing premeditated murder, and plotting to kill the Pharaoh. The thief had never been there that night. It was an illusion Akhenaden had conjured to rile everyone up and trick Atem into thinking the thief had murdered Yugi. Akhenaden said he had planned to wait a few days after Yugi's death and use the Rod to implant thoughts in Atem's mind, thoughts that would inevitably lead up to Atem ending his life in his own guilt over banishing Yugi's soul, leaving Akhenaden to assume the throne in his nephew's place. Mana still couldn't believe that Akhenaden, Atem's own flesh and blood, had plotted so deviously to ruin his life. It had worked, obviously, but not in the ways Akhenaden may have expected.

No one had expected it, really.

The emerald-eyed Priestess sniffed, wiping her sweaty palms on the fabric of her dress as she stopped walking, glancing up at the door that led into a room she hadn't entered in weeks. No one had dared enter the chamber since that day, but Mana was quickly becoming worried. Mahado had said to leave him alone, that he would grieve over the loss of his lover in his own way, without their help, but Mana couldn't take it anymore. She needed to make sure her friend was okay.

Summoning her courage, Mana reached out and pushed open the door to Atem's room, fighting back tears as she took in the state of it. The bed was unmade, clothes were strewn all over the floor, and the remains of vases littered the ground, turning what had once been a tidy room into what looked to be a battle-zone. She had heard those vases break on occasion when she walked down the halls with Mahado, but he had always pulled her along, never allowing the young Priestess to take a look inside. Mana was glad her friend and mentor had done so. Just looking at the aftermath of the carnage was hard.

The seventeen-year-old closed the door quietly behind her, picking her way around the shards littering the floor. "Hello?" She called, glancing around. "It's me; Mana. I came to see if you were okay."

There was no response, and Mana made her way towards the balcony, certain that she would find her friend outside, staring down at the gardens. Atem and Yugi had spent a lot of time among the flowers as children, and Atem had told her once that it was where his romantic relationship with his servant had started. Mana hesitated before peaking her head around the corner, heart pulsing with sadness when she saw the young man sitting on the ground, leaning back against the wall, cradling the Millennium Pendant in his hands.

Mana approached with caution, the warm winds of the afternoon whipping her hair into her face and picking up the bottom of her dress. She smoothed it down before speaking. "Akhenaden's sentencing is today."

There was no reply, and Mana waited a few moments before continuing, allowing her statement to process. "You should be there. He needs to face what he's done to you head on."

Aside from a slight clench of the jaw, there was no response. Mana sighed, turning her face slightly into the wind to stare out into the countryside next to the palace, to the dunes and the river beyond, narrowing her eyes against the harsh light. Maybe Mahado was right. Maybe he wasn't ready to face what had happened that night. But Mana wasn't going to leave without at least trying. "How long have you been out here?"

A slight pause, and then, "A while."

"I haven't seen you out and about in days. When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know."

"He would be worrying."

"Don't you think I know that?" Mana flinched. She wasn't used to the cold manner with which her friend was speaking to her.

"We all miss him." Mana said quietly, allowing her tears to fall. Her companion was already crying, had probably been shedding his silent tears nonstop since the incident. This was the third time she'd seen the man cry in all the years they'd been friends. "Even Seto."

"Bastard's probably overjoyed. He finally gets to be Pharaoh."

"No, Yugi, that's not true." Mana said desperately, sinking down onto her knees beside the servant. Seeing him so bitter made her terribly upset, and she knew for a fact Atem would have wanted her to do something about it, to change Yugi's mind. Yugi and Seto had been friends before, but ever since that night, he treated the new Pharaoh as if he had tried to kill Atem directly. "Seto had no idea what Akhenaden was planning. He was just as loyal to Atem as the rest of us!"

Yugi didn't reply, staring hard at the Millennium Pendant that had been in his care since he had woken up. He'd refused to relinquish it after learning what Atem had done, and no amount of persuasion had been able to prompt Yugi into parting with the Pendant, despite all the pain it had brought him over the years. Yugi didn't remember much about what had happened that night, but Mana did, no matter how desperately she wanted to forget.

The entire situation had been akin to the world having ended. Atem had been crying silently over Yugi's empty body as his Priests bickered amongst themselves, and while his composure was impeccable aside from his tears, his eyes betrayed the torrent of emotions coursing through his being, anguish and self-loathing being the most obvious. It had been heart wrenching for Mana, who hadn't been able to stop herself from crying after seeing Mahado, Isis, and Karim lose their own usually flawless composure. It was the destruction of everything they'd known since they were children, the master and servant pair that had broken so many norms and customs and yet no one had had the heart to tear the two apart. It was so hard to believe that Yugi had actually died, even if he himself had known for years and Isis had seen it through the Millennium Tauk. They'd known it was coming, but it didn't make it any easier for the ones left behind.

But then Atem's crying had ceased completely, almost suddenly and far too easily. The Priests and Priestesses had watched their sovereign nervously, taking note of the cold, calculating look that appeared on his face although his crimson eyes were vibrant with his overwhelming sense of loss. Setting his sights on the Pendant, the Pharaoh slowly reached out with a trembling hand, hunching over Yugi's body as he grabbed the Item that had been lying forgotten, cursed, on the floor. Atem held it, glared at it, the hatred he felt for the pyramid completely obvious, but then he had slowly maneuvered the golden artifact around Yugi's neck, settling it against his still chest.

"Atem?" Mahado had tried, but the young Pharaoh had only clutched Yugi's body tighter in response, straightening his back and turning his head to glare at Seto.

"I do not believe you have anything to do with this, cousin, so as long as you do as I tell you, I will pardon you from this transgression."

Seto had nodded, his own eyes looking rather dull and lifeless. Mana knew he had liked Yugi as a person, for he'd been the first slave to stand up to him and not worry about his rank before acting. Jounouchi sure gave Seto the runaround nowadays, but Yugi had been the first, and the Priest would never forget that. "Tell me what you wish for me to do and I will do it."

"Find Akhenaden, remove the Eye from his possession, and have him tried for treason against the throne."

Seto had said nothing for a moment, and Mana knew he was completely aware that the punishment for such an act was execution. She didn't know what had gone on in his mind, but whatever it was had waned in comparison to his loyalty towards Atem. "It shall be done, my Pharaoh."

Atem smiled then, that frightening look disappearing from his face for the most part, though he still looked tired and broken. "Thank you, Seto. For everything. When I'm gone, the throne is yours."

Mana and Isis gasped aloud while Seto stared at his cousin in shock, mouth opening and closing as if he wasn't sure what to say. "My Pharaoh, what are you talking about?" Karim demanded, a hint of panic in his otherwise calm and sturdy voice. "There is still time yet for you to have an heir to your crown!"

The young Pharaoh frowned, stroking his thumb absentmindedly on the skin of Yugi's arm, directly over the slave's self-inflicted wounds and smearing the blood across the pale flesh. "No. Even if this night never happened the crown would belong to Seto. I've realized no amount of persuasion from any of you or Yugi would change my mind on the subject of marriage. Yugi was the only one I would have ever shared my bed with."

"Why are you saying this?" Seto asked lowly, clenching the Millennium Rod so tightly his arm began to tremble. "What do you plan on doing? Can you not carry out Akhenaden's execution yourself?"

"He never told me." Atem was looking at Yugi again, staring hard at his face as if silently asking why he hadn't been informed that this would happen. "I cannot say I don't know why. He knew me better than anyone, I suppose. He knew I wouldn't be able to take this lightly."

"Atem." Mana said hopelessly, as if she could possibly change his mind.

"I'm going to try and bring him back." Her friend said quietly, his voice sounding distant. He was probably thinking his strategy through one final time. "The Pendant has a strong connection to the Darkness. I've known it since the day I received it. I'd assume it could take me to wherever I banished his soul. I say these things to you, Seto, because no matter the outcome for Yugi, I will not be returning to this world."

"You do not know that!" Mahado snapped. "You and Yugi could come back together entirely unharmed and you can rule Egypt for the rest of your days with him at your side."

Atem smiled again, still looking at Yugi. "You don't know the Darkness like I do, my friend. Even towards me, the man who harnessed its energy and gave it life, it will show no mercy. My soul was as good as dead the moment you gave me the Pendant when I was fifteen."

The Priests were stunned, alarmed that they had brought something so dangerous into the man's life. "What do you mean?" Siamun asked eventually, voicing their private thoughts.

"The souls of the people of Kul Elna fester within me – the ones used to make this Pendant – as they do in all of you who own an Item. I can feel their anger, their hatred for me, my father, and my uncle. The Darkness of the Items was born of that hatred for my family, and while the Pendant gives me unbelievable power, it also seeks to overwhelm and destroy me, as it did to my father. And before you ask, I had a dream a year or so ago that makes me believe this. My father came to me and told me not to underestimate the powers of the Pendant as he had, lest I meet the same fate as him. It is why no one could determine my father's cause of death. They banished his soul to a place where the gods do not roam. I have so far been strong enough to keep the Darkness and the shadows it wields from overpowering me, but I fear without Yugi here it will pick apart at my weakness and finally destroy the thing it hates so badly. This way, I can control my own fate."

"But the Pendant was created to protect you, not destroy you!" Karim challenged.

Atem looked up and away from Yugi then, an exasperated yet patient expression on his face. He looked so much like his old self that Mana almost felt hopeful. "Think, Karim; my uncle created these Items. It was his wish for Seto to be Pharaoh. The Pendant was created to destroy my father and me, not protect us, as was the Rod and the Ring and all the others. The Pendant is the strongest of the Items and connects all the rest. By giving myself up to it, I should be able to calm the Millennium Items' deep-sated anger and protect all of you as well. If things stay as they are, your Items will end up taking your souls as well."

"You're giving up too easily." Seto said harshly, though Mana thought he would've been at least a bit grateful that Atem was still thinking of them in the wake of his tragedy. Mana didn't want to think about what would happen if the Ring or the Tauk overtook Mahado's or Isis' soul. Even if she didn't want to admit it, Atem sacrificing himself may have been the only option to save them. "Your obsession with Yugi has blinded you, cousin."

"Obsession." Atem repeated, and Mana picked up on the sympathetic tone of his voice as he stared at the last remaining member of his family that he actually trusted. "I pray you come to realize what love is, Seto. I ache at the thought of what could happen to our country if you do not."

"Atem, please!" Mana cried, dropping to her knees as the Pendant began to glow and the Eye of Horus appeared on Atem's forehead, flashing in so many vibrant colors that Mana was forced to close her eyes for a moment before she urged herself to open them again. Somehow, she knew she couldn't afford to look away from her sovereign for even one second, lest she end up regretting it if she didn't. "What if your plan doesn't work and Yugi cannot be resurrected? He'd never forgive you if you threw your life away for a gamble!"

"It is all or nothing when it comes to Yugi, Mana. And I cannot allow any of you to perish for my family's mistakes." Atem said softly, reaching for Yugi's limp hand and entwining their fingers, bringing their hands to rest on the Pendant together. As his eyes slipped shut and he lowered his head to Yugi's, the Priestess remembered acknowledging that this could very well be the last time she would see her friend alive, and she'd sat there trying to commit his face to memory, choking on her own sobs as Isis knelt down beside her and drew her into an embrace. "If the positions were reversed, I know any of you would do the same for me."

He'd stopped talking then, away in some dark realm where Yugi's soul was waiting, perhaps frightened and confused, maybe relieved that the life of fear that he'd lived was over, but there was one thing Mana knew for certain. Wherever Yugi was, no matter the state of his soul, his anger would be earth shattering once he found out about what Atem had done.

A blinding light began to emit from the Pendant, just as it had the day Atem first received it. Once the light died, Atem's body had slackened and the Eye of Horus disappeared from his forehead. Mana remembered thinking that the both of them had died, that Atem had joined Yugi's soul into the Darkness and she had lost two of her closest friends, but then the pale, bloodied fingers that had been encased in Atem's hold began to twitch. They were all still unsure as to how he had managed it, how Atem had succeeded in retrieving Yugi's soul. Yugi had been saved, but Atem's own life had been taken by the angry nature of the Pendant just as he'd said, banished to some place where neither Mana nor Yugi could follow.

Everyone that had been present would never forget the sound of Yugi's cry of anguish and disbelief when he realized what had happened, that although he had known all his life that someday the Darkness would come to claim him, Atem hadn't been able to accept it and sacrificed himself to save Yugi. Mana thought it a cruel blow to the boy who had spent his whole life preparing for his inevitable demise, only to cheat his fate by means of the Pharaoh of Egypt who loved him too desperately to see him die. The Priestess had been angry with Atem for leaving Yugi in such a pathetic state of incomprehensible grief, but she knew she couldn't really blame him.

Atem had loved Yugi more than anything, and Mana – who had never felt that way for another person – didn't know what had been going through his head before he died. She didn't know the lengths a person would go to save the one they loved, all that they were willing to sacrifice. But she did know Atem, and the Pharaoh she had been friends with would have defied the gods themselves to help the ones he cared for. In death, he had satisfied the Millennium Item's insatiable blood lust and saved his Priests that owned Items of their own. His sacrifice was a symbol of his character, as Mahado had said, and no one would ever forget the things he had done for their sake and for Yugi's.

"Atem was such a fool." Yugi muttered. "My death had been foretold multiple times. Who was he to change that?"

"He was your friend and your lover." Mana insisted, reaching out to place her hand on Yugi's knee. He didn't pull away like she had expected him too, but he did tense up. She continued, echoing Atem's final words to her. "Don't tell me if the situations were reversed, you wouldn't have done the same thing."

"But the situations weren't reversed!" Yugi said desperately. "I was supposed to die, and Atem was to continue leading Egypt as if I had never existed. That was our fate, Mana, and he should've accepted that."

Mana stared at Yugi incredulously as he turned his head to glare at her, the whites of his eyes red and bloodshot from nonstop crying. "You are the foolish one if you believe that." She said eventually. "Atem never would have forgotten. He might have been able to pick himself back up eventually, but he never would have been the same. After losing his mother and father, Yugi, he couldn't lose you as well."

"He was stronger than I am." Yugi replied, voice trembling as his eyes began to water once more. The old tears hadn't even had a chance to dry yet. "I held myself up for him, because he needed me, but inside I was scared of him, scared of loving him even knowing that someday he would come to kill me. He wouldn't be sitting here crying every day, refusing to leave his room. He would be out making a difference, leading the nation into a prosperity it has never known before. What is gained from my survival? Tell me that, Mana, and I'll stop feeling sorry for myself. I'll stop hating Atem for leaving me here alone and I'll stop wishing that I'd never loved him in the first place!"

"You – You truly wish that?"

"If it weren't for me, he'd still be alive. If I hadn't kissed him that day in the garden . . . if I hadn't let him make love to me for the first time, I would have been nothing but his slave when he banished my soul. He wouldn't have cared. If I hadn't fallen in love with him and hadn't coaxed him into loving me in return, this wouldn't be happening."

Mana could tell Yugi was about to break down, but for the first time in her life, she couldn't have cared less about hurting his feelings. Yugi needed to hear this, or his grief would never end. It was for that reason Mana was going to hurt him further. "I cannot believe you, Yugi." She said harshly, noticing his flinch but choosing to ignore it. "Do you really think so little of your relationship with Atem that you would doubt his love for you like that?"

"Mana – "

"No, listen to me! Since we were children, Atem cared for you. Back when you refused to speak with us, he wanted to know why you were so closed off, why you wouldn't let anyone close. Everyone tried to tell us why we couldn't be friends with you, but he never listened, never cared. He knew how special you were underneath your disguise, and growing up, being close to you was all that mattered."

Yugi wasn't looking at her anymore, violet eyes trained on the self-inflicted cuts adorning his forearms. Siamun had said the wounds, physical and emotional alike, would never disappear completely. Yugi was the living symbol of what had happened that night, a legacy that looked eerily similar to the person they had lost. For the rest of his days, no one would be able to look at Yugi without seeing Atem. It was a blessing and a curse, ensuring that while Atem would not be forgotten, Yugi would never truly be able to move on.

"He loved you even before he knew what it meant to love a person in that way." Mana continued, speaking softer this time. "That wouldn't have changed, even if you did deny him. Your companionship meant more to him than anything, and even if your relationship hadn't progressed as it did, if you had just remained friends or simply master and servant, Atem still would have cared for you, still would have loved you. I know you do not wish to hear this, Yugi, but everything that ever happened to us was leading up to that moment when Atem banished your soul. That woman predicting your death, your parents bringing you here, the forging of the Items; everything pointed to a single thing – Atem's death."

"But I – "

"Yes, I know you were supposed to be overtaken by the shadows, Yugi, and you were. You were gone from this world, if only for a few short moments. You did die, just as that traveler said. Her predictions came true, but whether or not she saw the full story and just didn't say anything to scare you, we will probably never know. Your death may have been inevitable, but in the end, so was Atem's. His future in this world vanished the day Kul Elna was sacrificed, his death solidified when he received the Millennium Pendant. You had to go, Yugi, or Atem might not have sacrificed himself to save us from the shadows. Who knows what could have happened if their powers became even stronger! You were born for this reason, you were given up for this reason, and you died for it as well.

"Don't you see, Yugi?" Mana said with a slight sigh, watching as Yugi began to stroke the Pendant absentmindedly. "This was always going to happen, whether Atem banished your soul or not. The Pendant would have killed him eventually."

"He would've sacrificed himself regardless." Yugi replied. "Even if I was still alive when he realized he had to do it." The slave paused for a few short moments before speaking again, so quietly Mana had to strain to hear him over the wind. "It's funny. This thing took him from me, and yet I cannot bring myself to part with it. The Pendant scared Atem to the point of nightmares, sickness even, but when I touch it, it makes me feel warm, almost happy. How could something that makes me feel this way be so evil?"

"It is not how it used to be." Mana replied. "Atem said his death should calm the anger within the Items. Mahado does not think they will be dangerous to us anymore since they destroyed his soul."

Yugi said nothing for a moment, staring hard at the Pendant. "I don't think that's it. If my soul was really destroyed as you say, then he shouldn't have been able to bring me back."

"What are you getting at?" Mana inquired, but Yugi didn't answer her question, his gaze slowly losing intensity as he looked away from the Pendant, reverting back to his melancholy state.

"Hey, Mana?" He asked, suddenly sounding as if he were about to start weeping again, and Mana held back a moan of sympathy. Yugi's emotions were so erratic and unstable at the moment. Perhaps it would be best if Yugi didn't attend the sentencing after all. "Those marks that were on his face . . . did I do that?"

Mana didn't really have to think about what her friend was referring to, an image of Atem's bloodied face right before he died flashing through her mind's eye. "He startled you, I think." Mana replied quietly, recalling Atem's explanation when they had found him cradling a hysterical Yugi in the slave's quarters. "You were trying to dig something out of your skin, and when he went to stop you, you lashed out at him in fear."

Yugi seemed to digest the information slowly, eventually slipping the strap of the Pendant over his head and allowing the golden artifact to settle against his body, perhaps taking comfort in its presence for reasons Mana could not understand. "You know," Yugi started, "I've had years to contemplate my situation, to think about the manner in which I would die. I don't really know why I never told anyone. I didn't think I was important enough to save, I guess. The traveler told me that my loved ones would ultimately kill me and that I was probably better off alone. I think that is why my mother and father abandoned me, but in doing so they pushed me closer to my killer. Growing up, I told myself that if it was a person I loved that was going to hurt me, I was not going to fight them. I was just going to let it happen, since it was destined anyway. I guess I failed. I hurt him, Mana, it was the last thing I ever did to him."

Mana hesitated, unsure if she should tell Yugi the truth. The last thing he had done before going into comatose was beg Atem to kill him. Pleading, sobbing, Yugi had clutched at Atem despite thinking that he was a demon and demanded for his life to be ended at that moment. But Atem hadn't been able and wouldn't allow anyone else to try. Listening to his love beg for him to end his life had probably hurt Atem more than those scratches had. The Priestess opted to stay silent. "He would forgive you. You weren't in the right mind."

"Was I even myself?"

"Truthfully, no, you were not. I don't know who that man was that night, and I hope to never see him again."

"I make no promises." Yugi sighed tilting his head back as a warm breeze bore down on them once more. "I can go on without him, Mana. I know I can, if I tried. I just don't want to."

"I know, Yugi." Mana said, reaching forward to grab hold of Yugi's hand, squeezing the shaking appendage tightly. "I know it will be hard, but all of us are going to help you through this, I promise."

"Why would anyone even bother?"

"Because we love you." Mana said simply, speaking mostly for herself and Mahado. Isis cared for Yugi, and Seto respected him, so she didn't doubt they would try their best to mend everything that had been broken within the slave. Siamun and Karim would help him for Atem's sake, though perhaps they could come to see the man as she did, with time. Jounouchi, Honda, and Mai would also help to get Yugi back on his feet again. The three of them had been asking about Yugi for days now – Mai especially – but Mana never had anything to say to them. She hoped Yugi would talk with them soon.

And for some odd reason, Yugi started to laugh. It wasn't a joyful laugh – not quite – with a hint of bitterness and deep-sated anger that Mana understood would not be going away for quite some time. "Atem was the first person to say that he loved me after my parents left." He admitted, removing his hand from Mana's to press the heels of both of his palms against his eyes, shaking his head. "I knew then that he would be the one to do it. It was like a weight off my shoulders, knowing that the person I loved the most would end me. I cried that night when we made love because I was so _happy._"

Mana didn't reply, allowing Yugi to have his laugh and unable to stop feeling as if she were intruding on an extremely personal moment. _Look what you've done to him._ _He's mad in a way he wasn't before, Atem. _

The young Priestess felt the stress that Atem probably would have in this situation, but unlike him, she didn't have the power to do anything. "What's happened to me?" Mana was startled when Yugi spoke again. The slave had moved his hands from his eyes and was clasping them over his mouth, eyes wide with realization. "I don't recognize myself anymore."

"We'll find you again." Mana swore with conviction, getting to her feet and extending a hand to Yugi, who simply watched her. "Let's start by going to the trial."

"I can't."

"You can and you will."

"Mana, please – "

"I'm not taking no for an answer." She said firmly, glaring at Yugi through her windblown hair. "If you don't face Akhenaden before he dies, you will never get the closure you need. Atem would go, if he were here."

Yugi looked so angry then that Mana almost backed down, but she stood completely still, meeting the slave's fierce glare with one of her own. With the Millennium Pendant hanging so obviously from his neck, Mana thought he looked more fearsome than ever before. She knew he would never knowingly use the power of the shadows against her – he probably didn't even know how to summon them – but what if the shadows reacted to his emotions as they had with Atem's? Did the shadows even exist anymore? Mana was certain they did. Atem had calmed them, pleased them even, but not destroyed them.

Mana was surprised when Yugi actually pushed himself to his feet, shakily, as if he hadn't the energy to be walking. He disregarded her offered hand altogether, however, and that action alone told Mana everything and then some. The former slave to the deceased Pharaoh brushed by her without glancing at her once, entering the room that he had spent the past few days destroying. "Leave me to get ready."

The young Priestess released a shaky breath as Yugi disappeared, allowing her hand to fall back to her side. Well, she had managed to convince Yugi to leave Atem's old chambers, but had invoked his anger in the process. Despite that fact, Mana was pleased with her work. Yugi would come to forgive her eventually, and she was willing to wait if it meant he could focus on moving on. Mana still felt the pain of her friend's death as sharply as she had the moment it happened, but it had only been a few days. She could allow herself to grieve more before finally attempting to move on with her life.

But it would be difficult. Everywhere she went, everywhere she looked, Atem was there. In the garden, by the river, inside the throne room, and even in her own chamber. His presence hadn't left the palace in any way, shape, or form; Mana couldn't even go to the dining hall without hearing her sovereign's laughter echoing off the halls. How would it be for Yugi, who had been at the Pharaoh's side almost constantly since they were small children? It was going to be tougher for him than anyone else, and Mana was determined to help in any way she could.

It was the least she could do to repay Atem for all that he had sacrificed.

* * *

_A.N. _Next chapter, something will happen that hasn't before in this story, and I think some of you are really going to like it, since you've been asking for it almost since the fic started. Oh, and please don't hurt me!


	17. Predestination

_Author's Note: _When I said something different was going to happen, I didn't mean anything exceptionally life altering. I just meant the chapter was from Yugi's perspective. Some of you have wanted to know what goes on inside the guy's head since he pushed Seto into the river. I was actually pretty excited to get to write for him, though Yugi's a bit of a depressing sort. Made me sad, anyway.

The next chapter is the last!

* * *

**Predestination**

* * *

Yugi's earliest memory was of playing with Becca in the desert.

Before the sun rose too terribly high in the sky, he and the daughter of his mother's closest friend would leave their homes and race off to the dunes together, rolling around in the sand and completely unaware of the dangers that the territory held in their young age. They never encountered a single serpent or wild dog, and Becca's father would always say that the two of them were destined to live long, peaceful lives in one another's company.

The child Yugi had once been thought the idea to be spectacular. Living forever with his closest friend had been a goal to strive for in those days, and he and Becca swore to one another that no matter what happened and even if they were separated by some forces out of their control, they would always find a way back to one another. They were partners for life in a way that only two four-year-olds could make innocent, and they had planned to make good on their promises until the day they found the traveler.

Yugi had once told Atem that he didn't remember much about his life before he was brought to the palace, but that could not have been more far from the truth. In reality, opening up about a past he remembered completely and missed so desperately to the man that was his future hadn't been far too appealing, so Yugi had opted to stay silent. He had never told the Pharaoh about the traveler, about Becca or the promise they had made to one another when they were kids, but the slave had reflected often.

He remembered that day so clearly it was like a vibrant painting in his mind. He could still feel the hot sand between his toes – he had always forgone shoes as the heat never bothered him – and the sound of Becca's laughter as he chased the blonde through the dunes, arms flailing as he fought to keep his balance. "You look like a chicken with its head cut off, Yugi!" Becca had giggled, blonde locks whipping to and fro in the wind as she taunted her friend, unwilling to give up the chase just yet.

"That's disgusting!" Yugi had replied, horrified, and Becca had laughed as she ran up a sand-covered hill, leaving Yugi – quite literally – in the dust. His short stature made walking through the sand difficult some days, and while Becca had been every bit as short as him, she had never had problems dodging nimbly all around him.

Becca had reached the top of the dune before Yugi, and the violet-eyed child had snuck up behind her, devious intentions milling about in his head, but then his friend had screamed.

His first view of the traveler had been over Becca's shoulder and through her strands of wind-blown hair. At the time, he had only seen a woman on her hands and knees, gasping for breath as if she had run across the desert on her own two feet, the crimson liquid coming from her face dripping steadily onto the sand. She had been wearing multiple cloaks and shawls, obscuring most of her face from the children's view, but Yugi had been drawn to her instantly. Any time he saw a woman in distress, he thought of his own mother, so he had instantly wanted to help. But he hadn't known back then that helping this one stranger would alter the course of his life forever.

After helping the lone and weak woman back to their village, Becca had run ahead to tell their parents about what had happened, and when Yugi finally managed to help guide the woman to his home, his mother and Becca's were already waiting to help the stranger inside. The two friends had stayed in Yugi's section of the house as their parents questioned the woman, wondering why she had been out in the desert by herself and if there was anything they could do to help her. Oddly enough, the woman never spoke during the first few weeks that she spent with them regaining her strength, and Yugi could not say with certainty anymore that that fact hadn't played a hand in his own time spent in silence at the palace. He honestly could not remember his exact reasoning behind that stint.

Yugi had liked her enough and would sit and tell her stories about the things he and Becca would do together, like how they had once seen a hippo when they ran down to the Nile. The stranger would sit and listen until Yugi's mother shooed him away, but he always found his way back to the woman's side when his parents were otherwise preoccupied. After the first day she had been there, Yugi finally got a glimpse of her face. Even as a four-year-old, he had been awed by her tanned skin, long, silky black hair, and eyes the color of sapphires. The gash on the right side of her face had scarred and extended from the bottom of her eye to the start of her jaw, but the flaw had done little to mar her lovely features.

A few weeks after Yugi and Becca had found the woman in the desert, Yugi had been sitting with the stranger, telling her about another one of his and Becca's grand adventures when she had suddenly reached over and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Yugi had been startled, almost frightened by the intense look in the woman's sapphire irises as she stared at his face, ebony eyebrows furrowing together in deep thought before she released him and turned away, returning her gaze to the wall. "Your life will be nothing but one sadness after another." She had said, and Yugi had listened only because she had never spoken to him before. "The people you love will kill you someday. You would be better off alone."

Yugi hadn't understood at the time although tears had appeared in his eyes at the mere thought of being hurt by a person he loved, and it had been just his luck that his mother had walked in to hear every word the woman had said. But the stranger wasn't finished despite the red hue Yugi's mother's face had acquired in her rage. "Darkness will overcome you, child, and that cheerful nature of yours will do nothing to save you in the end. In a time of bliss unlike any you have ever known, the eye at the heart of your troubles will make itself known to you, and it is then that your fate will be sealed."

"Why do you say these things to him?" Yugi's mother had demanded, picking her shaken son up and cradling him in her protective embrace. "He is only a child!"

The woman had smiled, though it wasn't friendly in the slightest. That smile haunted Yugi's dreams for years after that day. "Call it a survivor's thirst for vengeance."

His parents made her leave the next day, and Yugi had watched the stranger from behind his mother's legs as she walked away, never to look back. He had never wanted to go back to the desert with Becca after that, and while the blonde wasn't sure what had changed within her friend, she hadn't questioned it. Becca had always wanted to make him happy.

Later on in his life, Yugi had realized the striking resemblance between his childhood stranger, Priestess Isis, and the tomb robber. Yugi found it odd that the woman had looked like a mixture of the two, with Isis' looks and the thief's scar and sinister smile. Part of him wondered if that woman had ever existed to begin with, if she had just been a temporary premonition sent by the gods to warn Yugi of his fate, a perfect combination of two beings he would meet later on in his life. He supposed he would never know and chose not to dwell on the matter lest he drive himself mad.

Life went on after the strange woman's departure, but Yugi had sensed the unease that her brief stay had caused within his home. He would catch his mother and father fighting at night when they thought he was asleep, and sometimes his mother would stare at him with unease in her violet eyes as he played with Becca during the day. Yugi had been too naïve to see the signs then, hadn't noticed when his parents started to distance themselves from him, and he had thought nothing of it when his parents had bundled him up one night while he was still groggy with sleep, packed him on the back of Becca's father's horse, and took off into the darkness with him.

He had awoken the next morning in a place bustling with life, and the sudden change from his quiet village to streets crowded with loud people had startled him into a fit of tears. His mother had comforted him, just as always, but something had been off about her, about the way she touched him and how her eyes seemed to stare right through him. Hungry, scared, and desperate to see Becca, Yugi had whined up until the moment when his father had stopped the horse in front of the palace.

Yugi hadn't paid much attention when his father spoke with the guard and barely noticed when his mother cradled him in her arms and dismounted the horse, but when his precious mother had started to whisper fiercely in his ear, Yugi was all too alert. "Let no one betray you as we are about to do." She had hissed softly as the guard led them up into the giant palace, though Yugi had paid no attention to the scenery. "Trust no one around you, look out for yourself, and keep your heart and mind guarded."

"Mama," Yugi had replied, tightening his hold around her neck and resting his head against her shoulder, still sleepy after being woken up the previous night, "I'm tired. Wanna go home."

His mother had choked on whatever soothing response she may have offered, and Yugi remained in a light doze until his mother had abruptly set him on his feet and left him standing there, putting as much distance between them as possible. Yugi had blinked away the fog in his eyes as he followed after her, yawning as he clutched on to her skirts to make sure he didn't get lost, sticking a finger in his mouth to suck the digit listlessly, his go-to method when trying to soothe himself back into a sleepy state.

The first thing Yugi thought when he noticed the man sitting on the throne was that the man was loud. His voice was commanding and strong as he exchanged words with Yugi's father, though the only things the toddler picked up on were "Yugi", "slave", and "Atem," his own name being the only thing he actually understood.

Yugi remembered feeling confused when his mother disentangled his hand from her clothing and bent down to hug him, pressing her face into his tiny shoulder and squeezing until the child began to lose his breath, still sucking on his pointer finger. His father had watched silently, eyes red for a reason Yugi didn't understand, though he made no move to hug him as his mother had. Then his mother had straightened and turned to leave, allowing his father to guide her out of the room. Yugi's first instinct had been to follow because he could hear his mother crying and he only wanted to make her feel better, but something within him whispered to stay still.

Pressing his tongue against the pad of his finger, Yugi had watched as his parents walked away, knowing with a certainty that a four-year-old should not posses that this would be the last time he ever saw his parents. Filled with a fear he had never known before – and knowledge that no one his age should possess – Yugi had removed his hand from his mouth at the realization that he was being left alone. Never again would he see his village or the home he had spent his whole life in. He would never see his mother's reassuring smile or hear the sound of his father's hearty laughter. He hadn't even been able to say goodbye to Becca.

Yugi opened his mouth to call them back, to cry and scream and beg for them to take him home so he could sleep and see his friend, but all that had come out was a quiet, "Bye."

Yugi hadn't been happy those first few weeks at the palace. Heartsick and aching for a life he had barely begun to live, the four-year-old had followed blindly after Mai, who was supposed to be in charge of him. He learned quickly not to cry or complain in her presence, if only to escape the stinging blow that was sure to follow an outburst of any kind. She was kind to him, and Yugi liked her enough, but she was a far cry from the mother he had lost. He was always upset, unable to comprehend why he was suddenly in an environment where he had to do the cleaning instead of his mother. He could no longer play around whenever he wanted, especially since there was no one to actually play with. There had been two boys a few years older than him, but Yugi had quickly realized they weren't to be messed with and mostly kept his distance.

One day when he was alone cleaning the room he shared with Mai and a few of the other slaves – he had by then learned that that was what he was to called – when Mai had appeared and ordered him to abandon his duties and follow after her. "If the Pharaoh is around, be on your best behavior, and do not speak unless you are spoken to first." Mai instructed. "Oh, who am I kidding; you never speak anyway, do you, little guy?"

Yugi, of course, had not replied. He wasn't really sure why he hadn't spoken. Fear had kept him from doing so at first, and as time went on it was just easier to stay silent and do as he was told. There had been no reason to talk anyway. Like Mai had said, he was not allowed to speak unless ordered to, so it was best to just stay quiet all the time.

Mai had led him into a room where the floor was littered with what appeared to be toys, though unlike the wooden ones Yugi had kept at home, these were made of metal or even gold. An urge to play with them had hit the toddler, but he stayed right by Mai's side, scanning the room for any clue as to why he was there, and then he had spotted them.

A woman had been sitting amidst the sea of toys, and Yugi would have mistaken her for one of his and Mai's overseers if it weren't for the slave clothing she had been wearing. The slave woman was speaking softly to a small child sitting on the floor in front of her who seemed far more interested in the toys than her. The boy had fascinated Yugi as he silently watched the child slobber over anything within reach. The child was obviously younger than him, tanner as well, and while Yugi had never seen what he himself looked like, he'd heard enough descriptions to know that the child's exotic hairstyle resembled his own closely. And while Yugi's eyes were a deep violet, just like his mother's, the child's had been a red so rich Yugi thought it resembled blood. To be honest, the Prince's eyes made Yugi feel ill at first, reminded him of the blood the woman had spilled in the desert, but then the boy had looked up at him and suddenly the color of his eyes didn't particularly scare him as much.

"That's Prince Atem, Yugi." Mai had said quietly as the two boys stared at one another, one hesitant in his own insecurity and the other completely enthralled by a new face. "When the two of you grow older, you're to be his servant. It's a great honor."

Yugi hadn't been so sure. He had always been a perceptive child, and he had learned in his time at the palace that there were people you had to treat with great respect, like the Pharaoh. Somehow he knew Prince Atem was one of those people, and he hadn't liked the idea of having to be so close to one of them. What if he messed up and was punished? His mother had told him to stay safe, and he couldn't do that if he showed inadequacy in front of Atem. The amethyst-eyed slave had been nervous from the very first meeting, but even then, Atem had smiled, looking at Yugi as if he were the only thing that mattered.

It wasn't until a few days later, in the throne room when in the presence of the Pharaoh and the High Priest, that Atem revealed how fascinated he truly was by Yugi, when he had said Yugi's name after two years of silence. Yugi hadn't thought much of the Prince until that day, for he knew that the Pharaoh had been trying to get his son to speak for a long time, and then he had suddenly said "Yugi" in an attempt to get the slave's attention. Yugi remembered how warm he had felt as he played with the Prince in front of the royals and the other slaves, but he hadn't known then what that warm feeling would eventually grow into.

That had been the start of everything, the first move in an intricate game that would consume Yugi's life and revolved around a single being – the sworn Prince of Egypt, Atem.

Yugi had thought the child to be clingy when they were younger. For reasons unbeknownst to him, Atem was always insistent on being at his side. It didn't matter if his friends of higher stature than Yugi – Mana, Mahado, and sometimes Seto – were around at the time, Atem would always drop what he was doing and demand that Yugi do the same so they could play. It had been exasperating, for, unlike Atem, Yugi knew his place and understood that he wasn't supposed to play with Atem, Mana, and Mahado in the way that the other children wanted him to. It was lonely sometimes, but Yugi knew it was for the best.

Separated from Becca, the only friends Yugi had possessed were Jounouchi and Honda, though he couldn't really call them friends at the time. They had picked on him for his silence almost constantly when Mai wasn't around, though Yugi chose to ignore them rather than react as they wanted. He remembered his father telling him and Becca never to rise to the bait if they were being picked on and eventually the person would leave them alone. Yugi carried that knowledge with him for years, ignoring Jounouchi and Honda's taunts and focusing on doing the best he could to serve Atem.

The Prince had baffled Yugi when they were children, who was caught off by his master's cheerful disposition and determination to spend time with the slave despite the social lines set firmly between them. He would come to Yugi's aid like a soldier in magnificent armor if he ever caught Jounouchi and Honda being mean to him, and he actually seemed to care for the slave's wellbeing. Yugi had felt sorry for the younger boy, knowing full well that someday things would change and Atem would not look at him with such warmth. It was part of the reason why Yugi never spoke with him, with anyone for that matter. He didn't want to get attached, didn't want to think that maybe he could have friends in this life of servitude that had been thrust upon him, because he would always be weaker, less important than them. He'd been convinced things would change as they grew, though in reality, everything just got more complicated.

Yugi had realized his attachment to the young Prince that day by the river when he had pushed Seto into the water, when Yugi was ten and Atem was eight. He had been feeling apprehensive as he watched Mana and Atem splash one another, though the sound of their laughter had been music to his ears. He had admitted by then that he liked the two of them and enjoyed their company, and being older by a full two years, Yugi couldn't help but feel protective over them – Atem especially. As the boy's personal slave, Yugi knew Atem's every mood, could sense a dip in his emotions before the prince even noticed it himself. The slave knew the dislike Atem held for his cousin, so being left alone on the bank with said relative had been awkward at the least.

Seto had watched Mana and Atem play with an impassive expression on his face, completely ignoring Yugi's existence, much to the slave's relief. "Atem is such a weakling. This country will be ten feet under when he takes over." Seto had said under his breath, but Yugi had heard every word all too clearly.

Overtaken by an anger the eight-year-old could not explain, he completely forgot about how Seto outranked him and shoved the boy into the Nile, offended on Atem's behalf. Seto mistook kindness for weakness, and Prince Atem was far from weak. You couldn't rule a country using fear or harshness, and it was obvious to Yugi that Seto didn't quite understand that. _It's probably because he never gets to relax, _Yugi had thought as he watched Seto go under, hands clenched tightly at his sides as he glared at the rippling water. _A little moment to cool off won't hurt him._

Atem and Mana had stopped their play to watch, horrified, as Seto broke through the surface coughing and sputtering, glaring at Yugi through drenched locks of auburn. After a few moments of tense silence, the pair further off in the river started to laugh. "Oh, Seto," Mana had giggled, covering her mouth with her hands, "you look like a drowned cat."

"You should see your face, cousin!" Atem cackled, completely unfazed by the piercing ice-blue glare sent his way. Yugi had fought back a smile as he watched his sovereign, completely forgetting the enormity of what he had just done. "I want a painting of it. Where's Mahado when you need him?"

"Shut up, Atem." Seto snapped, striking the water in his anger. "Aren't you going to punish your slave?"

Yugi's blood had run cold as Atem stopped laughing. In his protective anger, he had completely forgotten that Seto was the son of the High Priest. The consequences would be severe if any of the adults found out about what had happened. His tongue could be split, a finger cut off, or – gods forbid – _execution; _the possibilities were endless in Yugi's terrified mind, though some of the consequences would never have been executed on a child his age. Yugi had waited as Atem hesitated, convinced that the Prince would punish him if only to please his irate cousin.

"Well?" Seto had prompted in agitation.

Mana cast a sideways glance at Atem, who looked at Seto for a moment longer before sighing and glancing at Yugi. The slave had released a sigh of his own and met Atem's crimson gaze evenly, steeling himself for a gruesome punishment. "Yugi?" Atem started slowly. "I don't know why you pushed Seto in, but don't do it again, okay?"

Yugi had been just as shocked as Seto, nodding dumbly as he looked at his young charge in a way he hadn't before. He hadn't wanted to get into any trouble, because he had planned on escaping someday if he were able and finding his way back to Memphis, to Becca and to his parents, but he hadn't been able to stop himself when Seto insulted Atem like that. That dream of his was far from a reality, however, and while Yugi had known this, he stilled hoped, intent on keeping his promise to be with Becca forever.

He hadn't loved her. They'd only been four years old when in each other's company, after all. She had been an amazing friend and perhaps he could have come to care for her in a different way, if things had been different, but that day by the river, at the tender age of eight, Yugi began to lose sight of his old dream and focused instead on a different one. It was the day he started learning to trust Atem, to have faith that if he messed up, he wasn't going to be ridiculed or chastised.

Yugi didn't remember when he started seeing Atem as more than just a friend. He supposed the attraction had always been there whether he wanted to admit it or not, and as time when on it just became more apparent to him. He didn't lust over the prince _all_ the time, mostly at night when he was alone and had nothing better to do than contemplate the ruby-eyed youth that had been at his side for years. He blamed Mai, Honda, and Jounouchi for the thoughts that sometimes crossed him when in the Prince's presence, blamed them for the way his body would react if the two of them got too close. He knew it hadn't exactly been because of them and had more to do with the Prince and Yugi himself, though he could have lived without the graphic descriptions of sexual relations between two people.

It was under Mai's instruction that Yugi learned how to pleasure both men and women alike, and his lessons tended to carry over into his everyday life with Atem despite his best efforts to separate the two. He would watch Atem as he moved, as he spoke, and even stared a bit too long when the Prince was changing clothes or getting ready for bed. Yugi had once helped the future Pharaoh with such tasks, but as he grew older and his mind started to wander where it shouldn't, he had forced the boy to learn how to dress himself. It didn't help matters any that the clothing all slaves wore was borderline scandalous, and while Yugi was by no means embarrassed of his body – Mai had told him many a time even the most "manly of men" would turn to stare at him as he walked by – he was worried he wouldn't be able to hide his body's reactions should something happen in Atem's presence.

He could hardly help it! The slave was drawn in by Atem's exotic looks and caring personality, by the way Atem had never treated him any differently just because he was his slave. Atem was sweet, idealistic, good-humored, and had a mischievous streak in his younger days that Yugi had sadly enabled to the extremities. It also didn't help that sometimes Atem grew flustered by Yugi's actions, the ones that had been taught to him by Mai that he would sometimes test out in his curiosity. A part of him wondered if maybe Atem felt the desire as well, but he never dwelled on the concept for long. It was unthinkable.

Yugi had been a little starved for attention as a child and young teenager who still remembered how it felt to be loved by someone. Mai cared for him even if she would never say so, and Jounouchi and Honda had by then apologized and treated him as a comrade, but it paled in comparison to the love Yugi yearned for. He didn't have a grasp of romantic love yet, but the warmth he had felt when in the presence of his mother and father or Becca and her parents gave him some idea as to how it should have felt. A part of Yugi had feared his infatuation with the Prince was nothing but a need for attention that he had been deprived of for most of his life, though that hadn't been the only reason he refused to act on his urges.

His growing attraction for the younger male had frightened Yugi, who was unable to forget the words his desert stranger had said to him when he was younger. If the ones he loved would always betray him, then why even bother coming to care for a person in that way? And not only that, but Yugi was a slave and Atem was the future Pharaoh. It never could have worked even if that strange woman hadn't said those things to Yugi and possibly ruined any future relationships he might have had. Yugi was content just to be at Atem's side with the knowledge of his future death hanging ominously over his head at all times. He could ignore it in the younger boy's presence.

That day in the garden, Yugi was certain he had taken leave of his senses. He recalled being seventeen and preparing the site for Pharaoh Aknamkanon's burial with Honda and Jounouchi at his side. Mana had approached him, asking if he had seen Atem, and he had denied seeing the younger boy with a shake of his head, a feeling of apprehension in his heart. Atem would never say something if he was struggling. Yugi knew his father's death was hard on him, but Atem had never let on that it bothered him to a crippling level. When the Prince had suddenly disappeared, Yugi suspected it was to find a quiet, secluded place to grieve in peace without worrying about prying eyes. The slave had intended to stay away and let his sovereign have his private moment, but the need to make certain he was okay drove Yugi to the garden.

If Atem was looking for a place to be alone, he would go to the patch of lotus flowers they had discovered when they were children. And if Atem was there, Yugi would know that the young Prince had been hoping his servant would come to him; he was the only one who knew about their secret place among the flowers, after all. Atem had been there, just as he thought, looking exhausted and so forlorn that it tugged at Yugi's heart. The ruby-eyed boy had been running around nonstop all week, taking care of matters that Akhenaden insisted could not wait until after the Pharaoh's funeral. Atem's uncle was pushing the poor boy to the brink with all the work, not giving him a few days to detox before the ceremony, and Yugi could literally see the stress marring his sovereign's beautifully exotic features.

The slave had never liked seeing the younger boy upset. Yugi used to get anxious when Atem cried as a toddler, fidgeting in place as the Prince's nursemaid coddled him and fighting the urge to do her duties himself. Yugi would flinch if the boy fell over on his unsteady legs as he learned to walk efficiently, checking for bruised knees and hands like a doting mother. In that alcove of lotus flowers, watching as his then fifteen-year-old friend traced patterns in the dirt in his own loneliness, Yugi decided that enough was enough. He was older than Atem, taller, and perhaps more physically mature in some ways than the Prince, but he also had less self-control when it came to certain things. Having remained chaste all his life and affection-deprived for most of it, Yugi's need for the boy just became too much, and every ounce of self-control that he possessed vanished when Atem turned those sad, crimson eyes to him.

Surging forward to press his lips against the Prince's, Yugi told himself that if Atem asked, he would say that he'd only done it to make Atem feel better, to make him forget. Atem didn't deal with emotions well after he turned twelve and he was made aware of the responsibilities he had to his country, and anything Yugi might have said to explain his feelings might have scared the Prince away. But Yugi let himself enjoy it regardless, reveled in the feel of the Prince's body heat against him and the steady palpitations of his heart, knowing that this would probably never happen again for as long as he lived.

When he finally talked himself into pulling away, Yugi was shocked by the look on Atem's face. That sadness had given way to shock and desire, and with his eyes half-lidded, the Prince actually looked content. Something had clicked within Yugi's mind then. Atem had enjoyed it just as much as he had. He wasn't repulsed that Yugi – being both a man and a slave – had kissed him without any warning whatsoever. Yugi could have cried but chose to kiss the boy again despite his better judgment. Overcome with a hunger he had never felt before, Yugi planted himself firmly in Atem's lap and kissed him for all he was worth, grasping at the soft skin of his cheeks and nearly swooning as Atem reached up to curl his fingers around Yugi's hands, holding on as if he never wanted to let go.

In all his seventeen years, never had Yugi known such happiness. There was still that thought in the back of his mind that nothing could come of this, but he refused to listen. _Just let me have this moment. Let me have him just this once and I'll never pursue him again. _Yugi should have known then that it was impossible. Atem was more addicting than anything Yugi had ever encountered and one small rendezvous in the garden wouldn't be enough to satiate the servant's growing desire to have the future Pharaoh in every way possible. It just wasn't going to happen.

Yugi spoke to Atem that day out of pure spontaneity. He contemplated the action a few seconds before, deciding what his first word to the Prince should be, but he hadn't planned on spilling anything. After that first, "Atem," and seeing the Prince's reaction, Yugi couldn't help but say what had been on his mind for the past couple years, how much Atem's kindness meant to him, and – despite the social divides and the prophecy – Yugi wasn't afraid to open up or trust him anymore.

He hadn't blatantly admitted his nearly maddening want for Atem, but the younger boy had seemed to understand Yugi's plight and remained silent for some time. Embarrassed and upset that he had revealed so much, Yugi had steeled himself for a rejection, expecting the wave of hurt that would overcome him no matter how polite Atem tried to be. Yugi convinced himself that the boy's response to his kiss had been purely out of instinct and a desire to fulfill a need that – to Yugi's knowledge – had remained unexplored for many years after the Prince started to change from boy to man, incident at his fifteenth birthday celebration aside.

But Atem was full of surprises, and Yugi's mind had completely frozen when Atem grabbed his hip and started to grind up into the lower half of his body, saying, "You know, for someone who hasn't spoken in thirteen years, your word play is stupendous."

Stupefied by how quickly Atem had fallen back into their easy existence with each other, Yugi could do naught but rely on everything Mai ever taught him about physical intimacy, allowing the part of his brain that he had never welcomed before to take over as he pressed closer to the future Pharaoh, who was urging the slave on with every heartbeat. "Well, of course." Yugi had purred, although his mind was screaming at him that this was not good, not good at all. The woman's prophecy echoed in his ears, reminded him that nothing good could come of this stint with his master, but Yugi didn't _care. _He couldn't spend the rest of his days living in fear of loving someone, and if the slave was to let anyone in after his parent's betrayal, it was going to be Atem. "The Pharaoh of Egypt only deserves the absolute best."

It was strange, how easy it had been to become intimately involved with Atem. Nothing changed, really; Yugi was just more comfortable to do as he pleased and didn't hesitate when it came to being affectionate. Atem handled the whole thing rather well, in Yugi's opinion, though the servant could still tell his sovereign was nervous. He couldn't exactly blame him. This was the first relationship either of them had ever been in – though whether or not they truly could call it a relationship had been something neither wanted to discuss at the time – and while Atem was the most powerful man in the country, he hadn't been taught the ways of intimacy like Yugi had. In those first couple weeks, Yugi had been in complete control, and to a man who had been a slave for most of his life, it had been refreshing to have that tiny bit of authority.

It hadn't lasted very long, however, his small ounce of control disappearing the day Atem received the Millennium Pendant.

Yugi hadn't known what to think when Mana came to tell Atem he was needed in the throne room. Something had been off about her demeanor. If she were feeling like herself, she would have teased the two of them for the incriminating position she had found them in. But she hadn't, so after Atem left, Yugi was left to worry about the fate of his Pharaoh, alone in a room that wasn't his own. Yugi had basically stopped sleeping in the slave's quarters once Atem gained the courage to ask him to stay for a night, which had turned into two and then escalated from there. He returned sometimes so as to avoid suspicion, though it was becoming increasingly difficult to leave Atem alone in the middle of the night just to sleep in a cold, empty bed and listen to Jounouchi's snores.

Yugi bit his nails as he waited, pondering over his relationship with the Pharaoh for a while before Atem finally returned. At first glance, the golden pyramid hanging from Atem's neck hadn't concerned Yugi too terribly, but then he'd caught a glimpse of the symbol directly in the middle of the artifact. An eye. Yugi didn't have to think to know that the "eye" the woman had been speaking of was now directly in front of him. The Eye of Horus, if his memory was correct. Atem had gone on to mention "the Darkness" and any doubts Yugi may have had vanished. The next day when he'd seen all the Priests, the Eye of Horus had been on most of the Millennium Items, and Yugi had felt sick to his stomach. So, his demise had something to do with the Items created to serve the Pharaoh he had just so recently admitted to have feelings for? How terribly ironic.

Despite his fear of the Millennium Items, Yugi hadn't let them interfere in his relationship with Atem.

They did prove to be problematic, however. If anyone so much as mentioned the golden artifacts, Yugi became irate and nervous, silently fuming because, at that point, he still refused to speak with anyone that was not Atem.

When Yugi had been cleaning the grand hall with Jounouchi and Honda, the slave lost his resolve to remain silent. He had been half listening to his friends bicker back and forth about Jounouchi's hopeless infatuation with Mai when Honda had brought up Atem. Tuning in completely, Yugi had listened as they contemplated the Pharaoh's love life, filled with a smug sort of satisfaction when he realized they still didn't have a clue as to why Yugi returned to their chambers late at night. But that had changed when they began to question Atem's virtue.

Yugi became increasingly upset when they brought up the King of Sinai's daughter, Princess Vivian. The slave remembered Atem's thirteenth birthday celebration, remembered watching silently as the brazen young Princess rubbed herself all over the bewildered Prince with no reserve whatsoever. It was years before the day in the garden so Yugi had no real claim to Atem at the time, but that hadn't stopped him from feeling protective and a little bit jealous. Atem hadn't exactly known how to respond but tried to act like a gentleman despite the girl's advances, though the Prince's resolve to stay calm and handle the situation with grace suddenly vanished as he pushed the girl away and left the room in a hurry, casting a fleeting, pleading glance at Yugi as he went.

The slave had followed Atem back to his room only to find a frightened young boy fidgeting on his bed, looking close to tears as he blinked up at Yugi. "Yugi, I – " Atem had tried to explain his actions, to tell Yugi what was wrong, but the slave had known what the problem was the moment Atem had left the room. He had seen Vivian's look of triumph when she pressed against Atem's lower half, after all.

Still living in silence at that point, Yugi had offered the Prince a reassuring smile as he approached and sat down on the bed beside him, refusing to let the younger boy escape when he tried to scoot away in his embarrassment. Yugi remembered Atem's slight squeak when he began to divest the royal of his clothing as if he were preparing him for bed. But Atem had been dressing himself since he was eleven, so Yugi had no innocent reason to fall back on for his actions should Atem react badly. Surprisingly enough, Atem never struggled, and once the Prince was completely naked except for his jewelry, Yugi had urged the boy to lie on his back, ignoring the look of fearful curiosity his sovereign was giving him.

"Yugi, what are you – " Atem had started to ask, but then Yugi had grabbed the Prince's right hand and dragged both appendages down Atem's body, towards the object of the thirteen-year-old's insecurities. He had tried to jerk his hand away, but Yugi had held firm as he urged the Prince to stroke himself, gently cooing in an attempt to alleviate some of the boy's nervousness. Atem had been unsure at first, almost fragile and scared under Yugi's instruction, but as the pleasure mounted, his confidence grew and Yugi was able to let go of Atem's hand and let the Prince take care of himself, not daring to move lest his friend lose his nerve and panic. Yugi hadn't taken any pleasure from it, too angry and sympathetic to actually listen to the sounds Atem may have made and simply waiting until the deed was done.

Yugi taught Atem how to pleasure himself that night, though the circumstances had been less than ideal. He thought the Prince was too young to be introduced to such things, even if he was royalty, and having been uneducated in the ways of sex or just that sort of pleasure in general, Atem had been frightened by his reaction to the young Princess. That night had been their first sexual encounter in some way, though Yugi hadn't touched Atem after those first few moments of the lesson.

The Prince hadn't spoken of it when they saw each other the next morning. He never let on that anything had occurred and saw Vivian and her father off with a smile on his face. Yugi had despised that girl. She had stolen something precious that night, leaving Yugi to clean up in the aftermath, and that was unforgivable.

Jounouchi and Honda were thoughtless in their words. They didn't know what they were talking about. They had accused Atem of losing his virtue to a random Princess at thirteen when in reality, Yugi had been the one to stay with the Prince that night, soothing him as he struggled to keep from crying, ashamed of his own body's reactions to the slightest temptation. Prince Atem had been a sweet, vulnerable child at the time, and Yugi loathed everyone who had not and still could not see that. He had been teetering on the edge of indecision when Jounouchi brought up the Millennium Pendant, and then Yugi had snapped, dousing his friends in river water as a means to vent out his frustration with his situation, his fear of the Millennium Items, and his anger at Vivian for taking something that hadn't belonged to her.

It wasn't long after that incident that Isis had approached Yugi to tell him of her vision, the very first one that she ever witnessed using the Millennium Tauk. Yugi had stayed silent as the woman fumbled over her explanation, trying not to scare him as she recounted everything she had seen. The slave reassured the Priestess that he had known about his fate since he was young, relayed his entire story to her, and thought that to be the end of it, but Isis had insisted they tell Atem. Panicked that the woman would tell the Pharaoh regardless of what he said, Yugi begged her to keep silent on the matter. "Atem does not need any distractions, Isis. And if my death has been foretold twice now, then it _must _happen! If you inform Atem, he will not be able to focus on anything except saving me."

"You care for him." She had replied softly. "More than a servant should."

Yugi bit his lip. There was no way Isis had seen his true feelings for Atem in a vision depicting his death. Was he truly that obvious? "Yes, I do."

"If you say this truthfully, then I must believe you only have Atem's best interests at heart. I shall remain silent, Yugi; you have my word."

It had been some sort of a relief to have someone close by that shared in his burden, that understood Yugi's views on the matter and didn't urge him to try and change his fate. It was odd, really. Never had it occurred to the slave that perhaps he could change the hand he had been dealt in life. As a four-year-old, he hadn't completely understood the woman's cryptic message, but the more he grew, the more he realized what was going on. Yugi was scared, of course, but there had always been a quiet acceptance deep within his being that prevented him from trying to do something about it. He wanted to live. He wanted to be at Atem's side forever. But who was he to defy the will of the gods?

Yugi had never been desperate to save himself until the day Akhenaden and Seto ordered him to accompany them to the river. Jounouchi had been less than enthusiastic, though Yugi had seen no danger in the situation. Seto had become more or less a friend of his over the years, and while Akhenaden was stern and a bit frightening at times, Yugi believed he had nothing to fear from the High Priest.

When the deceased Pharaoh's brother had suddenly turned on him, Yugi hadn't known what to think. Thrown to the ground as if he were nothing but a expendable item, the slave had taken the beating without a fight, able to see that Akhenaden was expressing years upon years of repressed rage and hatred, whether for him or someone else Yugi wasn't sure. Jounouchi had jumped to his defense almost immediately, though Priest Seto had wrapped an arm around the furious slave's chest, pinning his arms to his sides and whispering fiercely in his ear. "Bastard!" Jou spat, jerking his head back viciously in an attempt headbutt Seto. "I can take care of myself!"

Peering through his arms to protect his face after the High Priest broke his nose, Yugi had honed in on the golden eye within the man's left socket. He had seriously wondered if that was his end, that he was going to die from one man's fury and that the "eye" of the prophecy literally meant the Millennium Eye staring down at him so ominously. It was then that Yugi felt truly afraid of his fate for the first time and prayed that Seto would release Jou so someone would help him. "Father, cease this at once!" Seto had barked once he got a good enough grip on the still struggling Jounouchi. "You will kill that slave if you do not stop."

To Yugi's surprise, Akhenaden stopped, one foot still raised as he prepared to bring it down on Yugi's exposed stomach. The look in his one crimson eye – the one that looked so much like Atem's that it made Yugi ache – had been absolutely feral before the man regained his composure and began to walk away as if nothing had happened.

Seto released Jou slowly as Yugi pushed himself up on aching limbs, wrapping one arm around his middle while the other pressed against his bloodied nose. "Get in my way again and I'll break that pretty face of yours!" Jou had snarled at Seto, honey-brown eyes glaring fiercely at the Priest who looked strangely pale, eyes shifting to Yugi every so often as the slave caught his breath.

The sapphire-eyed Priest said nothing in response, only shooting Jounouchi a warning glance before turning to follow his father. "Yug', are you okay?" Jounouchi demanded as he finally rushed to his friend's side.

"Heh." Yugi coughed weakly, wincing at the pain in his stomach. "You called Seto pretty. Of course I'm okay."

That fear didn't leave him even after Akhenaden was gone and he was back in Atem's chambers. He had been planning to treat his wounds and then have a nice long cry – when was the last time he had one of those anyway? – but of course, Mana had been there looking for Atem. Yugi had been able to push past his fear and tell Mana what had happened, even felt cheeky enough to hint as to why Atem hadn't been able to go horseback riding with her and Mahado, but the more he talked, the more difficult it became. Mana had seen a glimpse of the part of himself he kept buried that day; not even Atem had ever seen him truly terrified before. He had just been _so _tired of living in that moment, tired of the fear and uncertainty and desperation for a life he wouldn't be able to have, and he hadn't been able to stop himself from succumbing to his emotions.

He had almost wished Seto had let Akhenaden kill him.

Yugi loved Atem, and it pained him that he couldn't bring himself to tell the man about his plight. It crossed him on more than one occasion that perhaps the Pharaoh deserved better than a slave reluctant to place his trust in him – he deserved someone more permanent. But Yugi was by no means a good man, selfish in his own right, and while he told anyone who asked that he had no qualms with Atem marrying someone else, on the inside, it made him seethe with an anger that he knew wasn't warranted.

He'd known what he was getting into that day in the garden. He knew that any future he may have had with Atem would be secretive and hard, the Pharaoh's loyalties divided between Yugi and whomever he chose to be his Queen. Yugi told himself he would be supportive of Atem's decisions, but he hadn't planned on his lover being so adamant about Yugi being the only person in his life that he would touch or be with in such a way. It was refreshing – adorable as well, though Yugi never dared tell Atem directly – that the seventeen-year-old loved Yugi enough to make him the only one, but the slave knew it wasn't idealistic and told Atem as much.

It was during the fight Yugi had caused when everything started to fall apart.

The tomb robber hadn't particularly scared Yugi. If anything, after he had learned just who the man was, he felt sorry for him. But he had been scared too, for he had known, somehow, as he stared over Atem's shoulder at the man whose eyes burned with devious intent, that his time was running out. That scar had shocked him, identical to the one on the face of the woman who had ruined his life, and once he had gone, Yugi couldn't stop himself from crying. The tomb robber had something to do with his death, but how and in what way, he didn't know. Atem had held him, soothed his fears in the only way he knew how, but then he had left.

They didn't speak to each other those few, precious days before everything came to an end, and Yugi would always regret not trying to amend the situation until the night Akhenaden put his plan into motion. When Mahado came in to tell them of the tomb robber's presence in the palace, Yugi had somehow known that the end had come. He had been afraid, but not for himself. Atem wouldn't stand for it if he knew. Yugi had tried to escape, saying he was going to warn Mai, Jounouchi, and Honda, and he was going to see them, if only to say goodbye. Atem had tried to stop him, but Yugi had distracted him accordingly before bolting, leaving Atem wanting, alone in his room.

That was when things started to get unclear for Yugi.

He remembered entering his old chamber to look for Mai, Jounouchi, and Honda. He recalled not being able to find them and trying to fight off his oncoming panic when suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise. He remembered realizing Atem had followed him, remembered turning to speak, but Atem had beat him to it, growling out, "Why have you done this?"

Atem had looked devastated, livid even, and Yugi hadn't known why. His first instinct had been to go to the Pharaoh, but he had looked so unstable, Yugi hadn't dared. He remembered realizing that death was looking him right in the eye. How he had known the moment was upon him, he wasn't sure. Maybe it had been the murderous intent in his lover's eyes. Either way, Yugi hadn't moved, hadn't even dared to breathe as Atem suddenly went rigid and something about the air changed.

The last thing Yugi remembered was Atem's furious crimson gaze fixated solely on him before everything went dark.

The next thing Yugi knew, he was on the ground, cradled in strong arms that were as familiar to Yugi as the sound of his own voice. Yugi remembered gasping himself into awareness, blinking past the haze in his sight, and squeezing subconsciously at the fingers entwined in his own. Atem's face was the first thing he saw, and still completely sapped of all his energy – he'd learned later that death had been the cause of that – he had smiled weakly, but then registered that the hand he was holding had no pulse.

"Atem." He'd tried to say, but the word became lost in his throat, a small, weak squeak coming out in its place. The sound of Mana's sobbing had pulled him from his daze.

Seto and Mahado had to pull him, kicking and screaming, away from Atem's body. A part of Yugi died again as he was forced away, unable to comprehend that he was still alive, but Atem was dead. That wasn't how it was supposed to be. That wasn't what the woman had told him. Atem was supposed to have survived the night, not Yugi, not the nineteen-year-old slave that – now that his love was gone – had absolutely nothing to call his own.

"Yugi!" Seto was the one that manhandled him into submission, gripping his biceps tightly and shaking him, blue eyes fierce and piercing through the dark as Mahado went back to help Siamun and Karim with Atem's body. "Stop. This isn't going to bring him back."

"S – Seto." Yugi choked out through hiccupping sobs, body freezing in panic when he realized the Millennium Pendant was hanging from his neck. The weight against his chest was sinister and taunting, evil as it reminded Yugi of what he had lost. He remembered how Atem had barged into the room, crimson eyes blazing, and he also remembered realizing that the Pharaoh was going to turn the shadows loose on him. The object of his destruction was with him, on him, but overcome by desperation to keep Atem close, he couldn't remove it.

"He knew where he was going, Yugi, what he was doing." Seto pressed, refusing to let Yugi turn his head to look at Atem's body. "There was nothing we could do to stop him."

"Nothing you could – " Yugi realized how weak and fragile he sounded, what with his voice barely above a whisper, but inside, he was furious. He had spent so long being strong, sound in his own mind, but now that Atem was gone, he had no direction. He was in shock, denial even, but most of all, he was angry. He had been cheated. How and why, he did not know, but it didn't particularly matter. Everything was over, nothing mattered, and someone had to pay for that. And Akhenaden was gone, off running from what he had done.

He punched Seto in his father's place.

Yugi ran after that. He left them all behind and tore through the darkness on his own, Mana's sobs and Isis' shocked cry of his name echoing in his ears, the image of Atem's lifeless body imprinted in his mind's eye. He hadn't known where to go, where to turn now that his lover was gone. He contemplated escaping, leaving the palace grounds while everyone was otherwise preoccupied and fleeing back to his village, back to Becca, who he still missed terribly.

He had to choose between Becca and Atem, between his old life, where he could possibly make something of himself, and his new one, where he would be resigned to a life of servitude in a place where everything reminded him of the lover he would never see again in the living world.

It wasn't a hard choice.

Despite the fact that there was no way to lock himself away inside Atem's room, no one tried to enter or force Yugi to leave. The slave stayed in his solitude for days, alone with his heartbreak, bruised knuckles, and the Millennium Pendant. He slowly overcame his fear of the Item, reminding himself that it was the last thing Atem had touched and therefore, he refused to remove it.

Those first few days after Atem's death had gone by in a blur for Yugi, who had been stuck in a state of unbelievable fury over the situation. Mana had come by, once, and talked to him through the door, telling him what had happened that night, though he didn't respond to her verbally. When she had left, however, Yugi had gone out to the balcony and struggled with himself for hours, debating whether or not to take the Pendant and throw it over the edge and into the garden, shattering whatever connection he had to the thing that had taken his life and then his lover's. But something within Yugi had whispered not to do it, so he'd slipped the Pendant back over his head and went back inside.

Yugi wasn't certain where his anger was directed, at the traveler for her prophecy, at his parents for leaving him, at Akhenaden for hating Atem so much that he would kill to get rid of him, or at Atem for leaving Yugi alone. All he knew was that he was angry. Grief had no hold over him. After his outburst when discovering Atem was gone, he hadn't shed a tear for his lover, and he hated himself for it. He would lay awake at night in a bed that smelled overwhelmingly of the Pharaoh and still, he wouldn't cry. He wanted to – oh how he wanted – for after years of keeping himself together, Yugi was exhausted. He wanted to let go and grieve for everything that he had lost over the years in a way he hadn't let himself do before, but he couldn't find the strength to. It was easier to be angry, so he allowed it to continue.

A few days after Atem's death, Yugi found himself going through the Pharaoh's old clothing out of boredom. He had meant to do it before – Atem hadn't been the cleanliest of men – but Yugi had never found the time to, other duties demanding his attention. Yugi had gone through the motions quietly, uninterested in what he was doing as he folded the articles of clothing, the only thing he was truly aware of being the Pendant.

Yugi snagged an old tunic that Atem had outgrown long before his death and was beginning to shake it out when something caught his eye. Holding up the tunic for inspection, the slave eyed the stitching at the waistline, mind beginning to drift. He remembered mending this tunic when Seto had gotten carried away during a spar and sliced Atem's side. Thankfully, the injury had been minor, the tunic receiving most of the damage, and Yugi had opted to mend it instead of throwing it out as royalty – as he noticed – sometimes tended to do.

The slave's lips twitched at the memory, not really smiling though the incentive was there. Things had been simpler then, back when Yugi found relaxation in sewing and teasing Atem was easy and familiar. They had been best friends who did everything together, and part of Yugi almost wished things had stayed that way, continued to be simple and uncomplicated. No romantic feelings, no sex, and certainly no heartbreak. Maybe things would've been different.

It was thinking of those "what ifs" that caused a shift within Yugi. His almost smile disappeared as he continued to think about that day, contemplated his flirtatious actions and Atem's cheeky responses to his silent questions. They had never needed words to communicate. They just knew each other, inside and out.

Atem's prepubescent voice was still fresh in Yugi's mind. _"Well, I am the King of Games, after all. No one has ever been able to best me."_

A strange sound permeated throughout the room, and it startled Yugi for a moment before he realized it had come from him. It happened again, that mixture between a moan and a sob that tore its way out of Yugi's chest, and the slave crumpled the tunic in his hands, holding it to his chest in an attempt to keep himself together. But whatever had been keeping Yugi's emotions at bay had disappeared, and he was alone in a vast sea of his emotions with absolutely nothing to keep him aloft. He was falling apart. _Why did he have to die?_

"It was supposed to be me." Yugi found himself whispering. It was the first time he had spoken since that night. "It should've been me."

And before Yugi knew what was happening, he was hurling a vase at the wall with a strangled cry. Watching as it shattered, the young man fisted the tunic tightly. "It should've been me."

He repeated that phrase over and over, a mantra in his mind that was somehow keeping him from crying, and each time, he found something different to throw, something that, to the people he was to now serve, was worth value, worth protecting should something happen. Yugi saw nothing when he looked at the pottery or the clothes, the food or the décor. It had all been about the boy for Yugi. Yugi remembered that sweet toddler he had rocked to sleep some nights and the innocent child who would tug at his hand in excitement, ruby eyes filled to the brim with wonder. He had loved that boy desperately, as well as the man he grew up to be.

Atem had been his friend, his family, his _everything. _Now that he was gone, it was all pointless.

The clothes were pointless without him wearing them.

Another vase shattered.

The memories were pointless without him there to share in them.

A broken, furious cry.

What was a slave without his master?

A curse.

What was Yugi without Atem?

And everything just fell apart.

Yugi fell to his knees among the carnage he had created, uncaring if the shards scraped or cut his skin. His arms were already ruined, still bruised and red, a symbol of the night Yugi could not remember no matter how much he wanted to. Burying his face in the fabric of Atem's old tunic, Yugi huddled there and sobbed. It was grotesque to Yugi's ears, the sounds he made when losing himself to his emotions. He sounded like a wounded, dying animal, a shrieking monster whose sounds would have filled Yugi's nightmares if he were not the one making them.

His whole life had been devoted to Atem, to taking care of him when Yugi refused to do the same for himself. Yugi was still angry of course, though this time it was directed at himself. If he had just trusted them all, had allowed himself to be weak and ask for help, Atem might still be alive. It was all Yugi's fault.

Mana and Mahado had lost their best friend. Seto had lost his cousin. Isis, Karim, and Siamun had lost the man they devoted their very lives to serve. But Yugi hardly felt much sympathy for them at the time. He had lost it all that night, though it had been his own doing. Atem had sacrificed himself to save _him_. And who was he, who hadn't even been able to put his complete trust in his own lover?

Atem saw him in every way possible. Hardened in the face of tragedy, happy in the time they had spent together, vulnerable after a night of passion. But he hadn't seen him afraid. Yugi hadn't let him. And for what? His pride? Security? Yugi thought he had done it to protect Atem, but he wasn't so sure anymore. Yugi didn't know much of anything, though one thought did cross him, one so random and _hilarious _that Yugi found himself laughing through his sobs: The King had been bested in the most important game of all.

Was it possible to hate oneself more than the person who had stolen his everything?

For Yugi, the answer was undoubtedly yes.


	18. Aftermath

_Author's Note: _This took way longer than necessary to get out, and for that I apologize. But, here it is, the last chapter. I want to thank everyone who waited patiently for this last bit to come out, and for supporting this story throughout its run. And with that, I give you the epilogue!

* * *

**Aftermath**

* * *

On the morning of Atem's burial, Yugi woke up with the taste of his own tears in his mouth.

The usual perpetrator – a recurring dream that was proving to be impossible to shake – caused the fit. It was always the same.

Yugi would be alone in the dark, aware that he should be somewhere else yet not knowing exactly where to go. Atem would be there, and he would call for him, over and over, and no matter how hard Yugi tried, no matter how loud he screamed, Atem never heard him, never saw him. The image of the deceased man would walk away eventually, still desperately crying Yugi's name, and whenever Yugi tried to follow, prying hands and fingers would grip at him and tug, never allowing him to follow after Atem, forcing him to wait until his lover disappeared into the dark. He always woke up crying afterwards, feeling as if there were something he should know, something he ought to be doing, but the answer always eluded him.

It was frustrating, but Yugi didn't mind. Crying, being weak, didn't bother him much anymore.

The only thing that truly bothered Yugi at all these days was his inability to save face in front of others. He hadn't garnered up a reputation for himself around the palace by simply following the Pharaoh's every command, after all. As a man of few words, Yugi had all the time in the world to listen to those around him, and he knew the slaves and nobles alike respected him for the quiet and calm demeanor he displayed no matter the situation. But ever since Atem's death, Yugi's gift had left him.

The change began with Seto's assault – which Yugi was none too proud of – and escalated from there. Human interaction was almost a nuisance now, he neglected his duties without thinking of the consequences, though for the most part, everyone left him alone. Yugi knew that the rages he sometimes fell into did not go unnoticed, the sounds of his crying and things breaking loud and clear to anyone who happened to pass by his door. He had fallen so far in only a matter of days, but at least he could pretend he was okay when alone in Atem's old room.

He hadn't had that luxury when forced to go to Akhenaden's trial, smashed between Isis and Mana as he watched the man who tried to murder him shuffle into the throne room, hands bound together and clothes in tatters from days spent in the bowels of the palace with little to no care. Yugi had to sit and listen to Atem's uncle, the man that should have loved and protected him, recount his plan to everyone present and talk about murdering his nephew in cold blood with no remorse whatsoever made Yugi see red, and if Mahado and Karim hadn't restrained him, he probably would have killed Akhenaden on the spot, unknowingly unleashing the shadows on him and putting everyone else in danger in the process.

Karim had a few choice words for him about that, saying he shouldn't have been there anyway and was only allowed in because Seto said it was all right, and Mahado, Mana, and Isis had to escort Yugi from the room. He bolted as soon as he was away from prying eyes, ignoring Mana's cries for him to come back and secluding himself in Atem's room once more.

That had been almost two weeks ago, and Yugi had been by himself ever since. Jou and Honda brought him his meals – or so Yugi assumed – though sometimes Mana took responsibility just to have an excuse to try and coax him out of his solitude, though she never received positive results.

But today was going to be different, Yugi told himself as he got out of bed, though it took a lot more energy than he would have liked to admit. He'd spoken with Jounouchi the other day and was now willing to go back to his duties as a slave, though he was really just tired of everyone worrying about him all the time. Seeing Jounouchi plead with him to at least leave the room was sobering, and Yugi had realized that he wasn't just hurting himself by keeping everyone at arms length, agreeing when Jou suggested he and Honda return the next morning to help him move back to the slave's quarters.

Yugi turned to the balcony, stretching luxuriously before grabbing the Millennium Pendant and slipping it over his head. He only took it off when sleeping nowadays, though even in slumber he could tell something was missing, aside from the obvious. He often took to just sitting by the balcony and staring off across the landscape, rubbing his fingers over the smooth gold of the Pendant. He wasn't sure why he did it. Perhaps it was a subconscious way to appease the shadows, keep them happy, so no one else would have to suffer their wrath.

Yugi didn't really know, though he hoped his efforts were of some help. He didn't know what he would do if someone else died because of those cursed shadows.

"Are you going to hole up in here all day?"

"It was not my plan." Yugi turned, forcing a smile as Mai closed the door softly behind her. He'd been so caught up in his musings, he hadn't even heard the door open. It had been a long while since Yugi had last seen his old caretaker, had actually taken the time to have a conversation with her. He knew Mai didn't mind though, wouldn't say a word even if she did. There had been a lot going on, after all. "I was actually waiting for Jou and Honda. For some reason, they didn't wish for me to leave here without them. Have you seen them? I'm starting to grow restless."

"Those two are busy at the moment and sent me in their stead." The older woman replied, arms crossed as she moved further into the room, taking in their surroundings.

Yugi pursed his lips as he watched her, knowing full well that she was taking note of everything he had destroyed during his time spent in solitude. He hadn't bothered to clean up after himself, though he really wished he had. Mai had drilled it into Yugi's head since he was a smile child that it was survival of the fittest amongst the slaves in the palace, and if you couldn't control yourself, couldn't stay strong, you were finished.

If she suspected that Yugi was out of his headspace, that he wouldn't be able to attend to his duties in the aftermath of Atem's death, she was going to get upset. Yugi expected a lecture, prepared himself to be smacked as the other slave drew closer, but she only observed him quietly, aubergine eyes lidded with what Yugi realized was concern.

"They sent me because they were worried about you." Yugi couldn't hold her gaze for long. She knew him too well, and there were still things the man wanted to keep to himself for the time being. "No one thought you would make the move back to our quarters if someone wasn't here to push you. I told them you didn't need to be babied."

"Then why are you here?"

"I came here for my own reasons. Mainly just to see how you were holding up. The Pharaoh's death must be tough on you."

Mai, Jounouchi, and Honda still weren't aware of how far Yugi had taken his relationship with Atem. As far as they knew, Atem had ordered Yugi to remain at his side at all times so he could serve the Pharaoh more efficiently. In some ways it was true, though not in ones the other slaves would have been comfortable discussing, especially Jou and preferred women, always had, and in that way, Yugi had always been set apart from them. Despite their tough exterior, Yugi knew how squeamish they would get if the subject was brought up.

"It's been difficult." Yugi conceded carefully, fighting past the burn in his eyes and the thickening of his tongue. "I put a lot of my time and effort into serving him. And more than that, he was my friend. It was too soon for him to go."

"Seventeen." Mai sighed. "Not necessarily a ripe old age. I swear it was just yesterday that fool was tracking mud through the palace."

"He was a bit spoiled." Yugi hadn't helped any though, never had the heart to deny Atem anything while they were growing up. Anything the royal asked of him, Yugi did, so long as it was within his ability to do so. "He could hardly help it though, born into the life he was."

"A bit? That boy held everyone he met in the palm of his hand." Mai chuckled, but Yugi couldn't find the strength to join in. He respected Mai and cared for her as he might have if she were his real mother, and while he had missed speaking with her, he wished she would take her leave already. Maybe he just wasn't ready to talk about Atem yet.

It had been hard enough to stand at Akhenaden's trial, listen to him recount his murderous intentions towards his nephew with no remorse at all, and after an experience like that, Yugi was completely burned out, even two weeks later. He couldn't cry now, not in front Mai, but if she kept speaking so fondly of the deceased Pharaoh, he wouldn't be able to control himself.

Yugi was about to suggest that Mai leave so he could continue to prepare for the day when she started to speak once more. "You know, I remember the day he was born. I was eleven – no, ten, at the time. It was late at night, and I remember the Queen asking me to accompany her on a walk. It was during the last few stages of her pregnancy, so she was very restless and didn't wish to disturb the Pharaoh. You would have loved the Queen, Yugi, as she would have you. She was a kind and loving ruler, beautiful both inside and out. I think Atem took after her, looks and personality wise. He may have had his father's eyes, but the way the boy moved and spoke reminded me a lot of the Queen. He had her beauty about him."

Yugi believed it. He had never met Atem's mother, but he had heard stories of the woman that gave Atem life. The man would always be grateful for that, even if the time he had spent with the young Pharaoh had been tragically cut short, but Yugi wasn't sure why Mai was bringing the Queen up now. "Mai, I don't – "

"Don't interrupt, Yugi, it's rude." Yugi may have had the Millennium Pendant, the most powerful and dangerous – in his opinion – of the Items, at his disposal, but it didn't make him feel any safer when facing Mai's intimidating glare. "Anyway, while the Queen and I were walking through the palace, she began to have pains. I led her back to her chambers and hailed a midwife. I was young then, so I wasn't too keen on sticking around to witness a live birth, but the Queen was in so much pain, and I couldn't bring myself to leave her."

"Were you her personal slave?"

"I was one of many, the youngest to ever serve the Queen of Egypt. I was extremely loyal to her, and even in my youth and arrogance, she never lost her temper with me. I was bound to her by that loyalty and stayed with her through the night as she gave birth to Atem. Pharaoh Aknamkanon was so fearful for the both of them, for it was her first pregnancy, pacing the room the entire night without stopping once, not even to get more sleep. Her labor continued all through the night and well into the morning, and when midday rolled around I was just as exhausted as the Queen.

"I remember the midwife handing him off to me once it was over, and I wrapped him up while the Queen regained her breath. He was so small, so fragile, and I didn't think something so precious could truly grow up to be the next Pharaoh of Egypt. But then he opened his mouth and _shrieked _right in my ear_. _I remember thinking that if Atem didn't have the heart for war, he could at least scream his enemies into submission."

Yugi didn't want to hear this, didn't think he _could _hear this, really, but still, he nodded and listened politely to Mai's story. It was strange to think, even now, that when he was two years old and back in his village, probably tussling around with Becca, the love of his life was being brought into the world. A part of Yugi wished that his parents had given him up sooner so he could've been there, been able to be present for his lover's first moments in the world as well as his last.

The Pendant pulsed against Yugi's chest.

"The Queen loved Atem dearly, more than even her own husband, I suspect. There wasn't a thing she wouldn't do for him, and I think the thought of leaving him frightened her when she became sick. She knew Akhenaden thought Seto should be Pharaoh instead of Atem once Aknamkanon died, and she also knew Aknamkanon would be hesitant to believe that his only brother may not have Atem's best interests at heart. I told myself that even after she was gone I would look after Atem for her, make sure nothing happened to him, but as it turned out, I didn't really have to."

Yugi was finding it hard to breathe. _Just go. I don't want to hear this. _"I know what you mean." He found himself saying. "Atem took pretty good care of himself without our help."

"Eh, maybe so." Mai agreed, shrugging. "You practically raised the boy, you know, or at least when Aknamkanon was too busy to do so. You taught him how to walk efficiently, dress himself, speak. Everything Atem was derived from your parenting, for lack of a better word."

Parenting. Was that what Mai was calling it? Fathers and sons didn't do the things Yugi and Atem had when alone together. If Mai found out, would she think Yugi took advantage of the influence he had over Atem? Yugi hoped not. He did remember Atem as a small child; his growth had been rather stunted when Yugi had arrived at the palace. She was right. Atem had learned how to walk properly by watching Yugi and had learned to dress himself in a similar fashion. "I didn't teach him to speak." Yugi protested. "I never even spoke myself while we were growing up."

"Well, Atem never got any better until you showed up. Never showed much interest in moving about on his own or trying out new words until he saw you. He took his first steps to get closer to you. Atem learned to speak purely as a means to communicate with _you. _It was all about Yugi from the very first day."

Forcing a laugh, Yugi dismissed the woman's words with a wave of his hand. "You remember our childhood differently than he and I did, it seems. He remembered weakness, disability. He grew tired of being second best to Seto and did something about it. That progression had nothing to do with me, it was his own determination."

"There's something different about you."

Yugi allowed the faux smile to disappear from his face at the look Mai was giving him, as if he had just done something terribly wrong in her eyes. He didn't like it. He hated disappointing Mai. "You're not a stranger to death and suffering, Yugi, you've helped with burials before." She continued quietly. "You love human life and celebrate it in all its forms. I know Atem was different, but if he was truly your friend, shouldn't you be happy about the life he lived and the one he now gets just as you were for those others?"

No, Mai didn't understand. There was no life for Atem after what happened, not ever_. _"There is no reason, Mai, I just – "

"Don't lie to me, Yugi. You know better than that. And to make matters worse, you've been disregarding your duties. That's never happened before. I want to know what's going on with you, and I want to know now."

There was nowhere to run, and Mai wasn't going to leave until she got a straight answer from him. But there were no straight answers. Even though Atem was gone, their secret still lived on in Yugi, Mana, and the other Priests. To keep Atem's name clear, Yugi could never admit to what they had done. To the nation, he had no claim to the deceased Pharaoh or anything he had once owned.

Not that Yugi cared about the finery; the only thing he truly wanted was well beyond his grasp, but he could never say so, for Atem's sake. Not even to Mai, the one person who, now that Atem was gone, meant more to him than anything. She would tell someone, and when word spread, Atem would be remembered for his relationship with his personal slave, not the sacrifice he had made to save his kingdom from the power of the Millennium Items.

Yugi owed it to Atem to keep this secret. He owed him more – a lot more – for lying to him all those years and inadvertently getting him killed, but this was all Yugi could do, give up his right to call Atem his, release the deceased Pharaoh from any and all commitments he may have made to Yugi when he was alive. It was what Karim had told him to do at the sentencing, right before Mahado, Mana, and Isis had escorted Yugi from the room. "Mindlessly attacking Akhenaden will not bring the Pharaoh back." The man had said. "If you want to help, set him free."

Yugi remembered the distaste in his voice, the contempt. He wasn't stupid. He knew Karim didn't like him, thought he had corrupted Atem and made him lose focus when it came to his duties, but the Priest had cared for Atem. It was the only thing that bound the two of them together, their devotion to the deceased Pharaoh, and it was for that reason alone that Yugi was actually heeding his words.

"I'm grateful for the life Atem lived." Yugi began carefully. "Truly I am. I'm just tired, Mai. I was there when he died."

"And you loved him?"

It wasn't a question. Not really. Mai had obviously grown tired of his hesitance to admit to it, and Yugi might have laughed if he had the energy. Who had he been kidding? He couldn't hide anything from the older woman, not when he was a child and especially not now. "I still do. Death could not possibly change that."

"How long?"

"I had just turned seventeen when I initiated it. Everything escalated from there."

"And he returned your feelings?"

"Tenfold."

"Well, that was to be expected." Mai sighed, shifting her weight onto her left leg and placing her hands on her hips. She was completely relaxed, didn't look even the least bit surprised, and that made Yugi nervous. "To be honest, I'm surprised you were the one that made the first move. You were the quiet one and Atem was always the type of boy to take what he wanted without hesitation."

No one knew that fact better than Yugi, though he did find it somewhat amusing that not even Mai could guess that beneath the surface, Yugi was far from quiet and could be just as impatient as Atem had been. Yugi had waited and longed for years, but once it became too much to handle, he went for Atem's heart and never looked back. "I was the one thing he was too afraid to take without permission."

Mai laughed, the jovial ring like music to Yugi's ears after spending so much time alone, but it also reminded him of how hollow he felt. He wanted to laugh, but couldn't. He wanted to smile, but knew it would be fake. His heart wasn't in it, any and all happiness and light in his world snuffed out the day Atem died. Would it always be like this? Would Yugi keep feeling as if he were dead himself until the day he entered an afterlife where Atem would not be? "This changes everything." Mai said as Yugi struggled with himself. "It's not just about losing a friend now. You two were lovers, weren't you?"

Yugi closed his eyes, trying to block Mai out. "Yugi, what's wrong?" She was holding on to his wrist now, could probably feel his racing pulse. "You have to talk to someone about this. It's not good to keep hiding away."

"It's hard knowing he isn't coming back."

"I know."

"He sacrificed himself to save me that night. I just feel guilty, I suppose." Yugi had to peer at the woman through the blur in his vision, through the hot tears threatening to spill down his cheeks. "How can I face everyone after what happened? It's my fault that he's gone."

"Hey, none of that." Mai said as Yugi tried to turn away, ashamed of his cowardice. "This couldn't possibly be your fault. I don't know what happened that night, but if what you say is true, Atem knew exactly what he was doing. You cannot blame yourself for another person's actions. And if the roles were reversed, Yugi, I doubt you would have just stood by and let Atem die."

He was so tired of hearing it worded like that. Mana had said the same thing out on the balcony, and Yugi supposed Seto and Mahado said the same when they tried to speak with him, though he had shut the two of them out and didn't know if or when he would let them back in. It didn't matter who played what role in what had happened that night. No matter the outcome, no matter who it was in the grave when dawn came, it would've been Yugi's fault.

"I know you loved Atem." Mai continued, reaching out to cup Yugi's face in both hands, forcing him to look at her. Yugi was slightly surprised by the gesture. Mai had never been one for such things. "And he loved you just as much, if not more. Don't you think seeing you like this would hurt him? This isn't what he would want for you. Dammit, Yugi, this isn't what _I _want for you! You can't hide from life no matter how much you want to sometimes."

Yugi nodded, hupping quietly as Mai wiped at his tears, the scowl on her face overpowered by the fond look in her eyes. "You'll be okay." She assured him, leaning up slightly to press a kiss between him eyes. "It may take some time and hell of a lot of work, but you'll be okay. I promise."

As Mai dragged him into a fierce hug, he really wanted to believe her, though at this point, he couldn't bring himself to. Maybe things would be good again, with time, but the irrational side of him beat out the rational one. He really couldn't see how things could get any better. But he couldn't tell Mai that, so he simply closed his eyes and held on tight, feeling like a real child for the first time since his parents left him in the throne room all those years ago.

* * *

Jounouchi and Honda came not long after Mai left, not giving Yugi much time to change his clothes before hustling him out the door, probably to prevent him from losing hold of his epiphany and hiding away again.

"We've really missed you around, Yug'." Jou said as they walked, he and Honda flanking Yugi on either side. "It's just not the same without you around to dump work on. We even left our beds unmade for you to give you something easy on your first day back."

"Well, at least you guys gave me something to come back to." Yugi replied. "I don't want to sit around with nothing to do. But aren't we supposed to help with, you know, the burial?"

"Actually," Honda began cautiously, and Yugi could've groaned in frustration. Despite all that had happened, he didn't appreciate being treated like an invalid. Jou and Honda probably didn't understand just why Yugi was so upset. If anyone would doubt the depth of his relationship with Atem, it would definitely be those two, oblivious as they were. But they meant well, so Yugi could hardly fault them for it. "They don't need everyone to help. So you, Jou, and I are going to stay behind and do some of the more basic chores."

"Like making beds." Yugi drawled, though he felt useless, unable to even help prepare for his lover's burial. "We're going to have so much fun, I can already tell."

"That's the Yugi we know and love." Honda laughed, clapping Yugi on the back a few times while Jou gripped his shoulder tightly. It felt nice to be in the company of his friends again, though after going two weeks with little to no human contact, the rough housing he had grown up with wasn't as familiar or welcome as it had once been.

"Pharaoh Atem!"

Yugi froze, noting how rigid his companions were and how their grips on him had tightened considerably. Yugi spun around without thinking, brushing off Jou's and Honda's hands, torn between feeling livid and mortified, but stopped short before he could utter a sound of rebuttal, a breath of surprise caught in his throat.

A young woman was standing a ways down the corridor, waving enthusiastically at the three of them – or just at Yugi? The slave couldn't make out much from where he stood, though he did notice the short, auburn hair and that blazing grin, one that he had once been familiar with, back during his childhood. "Anzu?" He muttered to himself, waving back as she began to move forward.

"Anzu?" Jou repeated from behind Yugi. "You mean _Princess _Anzu?"

"The Pharaoh's betrothed." Honda added, and despite himself, Yugi couldn't help but stiffen. He knew he had no right, for out of everyone, it had been he that pushed for Atem to marry the young woman the most, but never had he imagined that Anzu would show up at the palace, not now that her would-be-husband was gone.

But . . . perhaps she hadn't been informed? She had called out for Atem when Yugi had been facing the opposite direction. The two of them had looked similar enough. Did the woman think Yugi was the Pharaoh?

Yugi's questions were answered as Anzu drew closer, and the cheerful expression on her tanned face melted into one of dawning realization. "Oh." She exclaimed, clutching her hand back to her chest. "I do apologize, I thought you were . . .Yugi? Is that you?"

Yugi blinked, struck by how much the young princess he once knew had really grown over the years. She was definitely a woman now, and by the fidgeting going on behind him, Yugi knew he wasn't the only one who had noticed the supple curves and added weight of a woman of nobility. "It's been a long time, Anzu." He said with a slight nod. "Fret not that you did not recognize me."

Anzu jumped slightly, though she collected herself before Yugi could wonder what the problem was. "I have never heard you speak before. As children, you were always silent. I thought you never talked because you were unable."

"My silence back then was a choice, one I hardly understand now." Yugi replied with a slight laugh that he knew must have sounded forced, though he reassured himself that after all this time, Anzu wouldn't be able to tell. "I am sorry for the trouble it caused when we were children."

Waving off his apology, the young princess said, "Oh, please, you and I both know you never had any trouble communicating with everyone. Oftentimes I preferred speaking with you over Atem or Mana, if only because you actually listened to me."

The two of them shared a hearty laugh, and it struck Yugi then that he'd forgotten himself momentarily, realizing that the movement from behind hadn't been Jou and Honda shifting in the presence of a beautiful woman, but the two of them kneeling on the floor, as was expected of those of their class when in the presence of royalty. Yugi took a step away from his friends and closer to Anzu, unwilling to back down now that he'd already forgotten his place.

Anzu didn't seem to mind, reaching forward to take his hands in her own, squeezing gently with a soft smile. "It is so good to see you again after all this time. I often wondered what became of you after I left."

Squeezing back, Yugi nodded solemnly. It was a valid concern, after all. Slaves weren't protected with the fierceness shown to those of the royal family. Under Atem's rule, they had all been as safe as they could be, but things were changing, whether Anzu knew it or not.

"We absolutely _have _to talk more later, now that you actually speak." The princess went on, sapphire eyes bright with a happiness Yugi hadn't seen in many days. "But I must be going. I wandered off on my own while my father talked with the Pharaoh's priests. I am sure they have noticed my absence by now and are looking for me."

Anzu began to pull away, loosening her hold on Yugi's hands, but the slave held on, refusing to let go. She turned back to him, glancing at their hands. "Yugi, what – "

"There is something you need to know." Jou and Honda were probably beside themselves with shock and anxiety over the way Yugi was acting, speaking with a noble so casually and now _interrupting _her, but Yugi pushed on. "I know you and Atem were . . . soon to be wed, and perhaps you were already traveling here when it happened and never received the news, but . . . there was an incident here at the palace and the Pharaoh died."

When Anzu pulled her hand away, Yugi didn't stop her this time, though she left her right clasped firmly in his while her left clapped over her mouth in obvious horror. Yugi watched her solemnly, another wave of despair washing over him as he saw the tears building in Anzu's eyes, the subtle shake of her head. "Atem is dead?" She whispered, the words muffled through her trembling fingers.

Yugi nodded, swallowing past the burn in the back of his throat. What a cruel existence this was, comforting the person who would have been his lover's wife, his Queen, the only person who would have truly held a claim to Atem in the eyes of his people. But he couldn't hate Anzu for that, not even a little. While Yugi had been set apart from Atem by a mere two years, he was Anzu's elder by four. They had been friends, yes, but Mai had made it clear all those years ago that Yugi was to watch over the young princess during her stay at the palace. Even now, Yugi saw her as someone he wanted to protect, a friend that he didn't want to see suffer.

He was about to offer words of comfort when Anzu's shaking ceased. Yugi watched her carefully, half-expecting her to fall apart, remembering how soft-hearted she had been when they were younger, but nothing happened. Anzu closed her eyes, took a deep breath which she held for a few moments before releasing, and finally let go of Yugi's hand, wiping gingerly at the few tears that had spilled down her cheeks. "I am sorry." She said with a slight shake of her head. "That was unbecoming of me."

After spending many years in Atem's company, Yugi was slightly shocked by the restraint Anzu was showing. Atem had been stoic in public, but when they were alone together, he had no issue showing emotion and perhaps breaking on occasion if things became too much to handle. But Anzu was in the company of slaves, lowly citizens in the society they lived in. She had no need to restrain herself with no one around to impress. Why the quick – almost too quick – recovery? "It is okay to mourn – " Yugi began, but Anzu held up a hand, silencing him.

"I suppose I do not really have the right to mourn in such a way." She said quietly. "Not the way you do."

Yugi didn't know what to say.

Anzu smiled slightly, glancing around Yugi's shoulder to where Jou and Honda were still kneeling before stepped closer to Yugi, dropping her voice so only he could hear what was being said. "You know, when we were kids, it never occurred to me that perhaps something was a bit off about the way you and Atem interacted with one another. You two were so close, like brothers, and it was so obvious that Atem looked up to you more than anyone aside from his father. Like I said, I thought nothing of it, not until a few years later when I was old enough to understand that you both, while physically similar, were different in a lot of ways, debilitating ways.

"You may not have spoken back then, but your actions spoke loud and clear, and when my father told me I was going to marry Atem, my thoughts immediately went to you, the mute slave boy that devoted his entire life to serving his ruler. I worried about the future for many days after that, about what would happen when I came here, how many lives would change because of me." Anzu paused, studying Yugi's face carefully before adding, "I am fairly certain, but I would appreciate it if you would tell me. Was something going on between the two of you?"

Yugi could have laughed. Were he and Atem truly that transparent, that even a girl they hadn't seen in almost ten years could understand that there was a connection between them that went far beyond that of master and slave? It was pretty obvious now, what with Yugi's reaction at the trial and his brooding nature as of late, the refusal to take off the Millennium Pendant, no matter how uneasy it made him.

Everyone had known, so why had Yugi been so adamant to hide it? Why couldn't he have just let it go?

Too tired to do much else, Yugi nodded. "I loved him very much. Far too much, perhaps."

"You can never love a person too much, Yugi, though you can not love a person _enough_, which is my greatest sin. I cared for Atem enough to be able to live comfortably by his side as his wife until my dying day, but not enough that I could tell myself with certainty that I loved him more than anybody ever would. You would have sat by and let him marry me without complaint, would you not have, because you loved him that much?"

Yugi turned his head away. "Enough to let him go, you mean? Yes and no. It was I who whispered your name into the priests' ears, but I was also the one weeping bitterly when the marriage was announced. In the end, I loved Atem more than myself, and that was _my_ greatest sin."

Anzu sighed, reaching up to cup Yugi's cheek gently, directing his gaze back to her own. "What a pair we make, you and I, too willing to put someone else's happiness before our own. I was prepared to share Atem when I walked into this place, though I suppose you would have been the one doing the sharing."

Yugi hummed, grateful for the warmth against his face, the heat of another human body so close to his after spending so many days in solitude. "Atem belonged to nobody. But you are a kind soul, Anzu. I know many who never would have thought about doing what you contemplated."

"Well, not many are as wonderful as I am." Anzu cooed, patting Yugi's cheek twice more before pulling away. "I do take pride in my generosity."

Yugi chuckled, shaking his head at the woman's antics as she peered around him once more. "Whatever are you two still doing on the floor? That cannot be comfortable. Stand, stand!"

Yugi turned to find Jou and Honda exchanging doubtful looks before rising hesitantly, staggering a bit before finding their footing once more. "Well-trained boys you have here, Yugi." Anzu said, crossing her arms over her chest and eyeing his companions critically. "They have not said a single word since I arrived. The helpers at my palace are more lively, though."

"Boys?" Jou repeated with a scowl, hesitance forgotten. "We're actually well-trained _men _who know how to treat a woman of your stature, Princess Anzu."

Anzu grinned, turning deep blue eyes to Yugi. "Oh, I like him. What are your names?"

"I'm Jounouchi, Princess." Jou replied, jerking his thumb in Honda's direction, who still looked a little troubled. "He's called Honda."

"It is a pleasure to meet you both." Anzu said warmly, moving away from Yugi's side to step up to Jou, extending a hand. "I am certain I saw you once or twice the last time I came here, but I do regret that we were never properly introduced."

Yugi watched with a slight smile as his friends struck up a conversation, none too surprised that Anzu was just as friendly as ever, never one to let social divides come between her and the people she associated with. Maybe it wouldn't have been too bad having her around the palace as Atem's wife. Maybe the three of them could have worked something out, though it was much too late now. Yugi wished desperately that Atem was still with them so that he could see Anzu again, witness the kind, beautiful ruler she had become, but such thoughts only brought another inescapable wave of melancholy.

Oh, how he missed Atem's presence in his life. Yugi often woke up in the middle of the night feeling like nothing but a common concubine, plagued with dreams of past encounters with Atem, yearning for the feel of that familiar body pressed firmly against his own. But more than the physical, he missed the emotional connection they'd had, how Atem knew what was bothering him before Yugi even knew himself. He missed the conversation, the laughter, the knowledge that someone loved him, wanted him, even if his own parents hadn't.

And not for the first time since Atem had died, despite what he'd told Mana on the balcony, Yugi wondered desperately how he could continue living without the younger man at his side.

"Anzu!"

Yugi turned to find a man he vaguely remembered approaching from down the corridor, followed closely by Seto and the rest of the priests. "Father!" Anzu called back as Jou and Honda dropped back to their knees and Yugi whipped around, fists clenched tightly at the knowledge that Seto was so close, the Pendant pulsing against his chest, though that could have been from the heavy pulse of his heart.

He really shouldn't have felt so hostile towards Seto. The man had had nothing to do with his father's plans to assassinate Atem, but Yugi really had nowhere to direct his anger now that Akhenaden was gone. Seto had assumed his position of Pharaoh too easily, Yugi would try to assure himself. He had always wanted it, envied Atem for having it, and for now, that was enough to fuel Yugi's anger.

"I apologize for wandering off." Anzu continued. "I ran into an old friend."

"Do not fret, my daughter, all is well." The King of Libya said, and while Yugi couldn't see his face, he detected the sadness in his voice. "I have just been informed that Pharaoh Atem passed away recently."

"Yes, I was told that as well."

"But our journey was not in vain. I have made an arrangement with Pharaoh Seto and you are to become his wife."

Anzu didn't miss a beat, and from the sound of her skirts brushing against the floor, Yugi guessed she was bowing in consent. "I would be honored to serve by your side as your Queen, my Pharaoh." Yugi bit his lip, annoyed that Seto had received not only Atem's position but also his wife, picking up his pace until Anzu spoke again, this time calling out to him. "Yugi, where are you going?"

"I apologize, but we have work to do." He replied, shooting meaningful glances at Jou and Honda, who both nodded slightly. "I promise we will speak again before the sun sets today."

"Yugi, stop."

Resisting the urge to spit, Yugi turned once more, slowly this time. He met Seto's gaze evenly, able to see Mana fidgeting from behind the Pharaoh, nervous herself about this confrontation. "Is there something you require, Pharaoh?" Yugi inquired, kneeling himself now that the ruler of his country was present. He clutched at the Millennium Pendant to keep it from moving too much, running his thumb over the grooves on the symbol of the Eye of Horus. _Keep me strong, Atem, wherever you are. _

"Rise." Was all Seto said, and Yugi did.

For a long moment the two of them watched each other, Seto with the melancholy of something lost and Yugi with hardly any expression at all. Anzu stood caught between them, unwilling to move and disrupt whatever was happening around her. It didn't even look like she was breathing.

Eventually, Seto sighed. "I have discussed the matter of the Millennium Pendant many times with my council, and it has been decided that it shall remain in your care."

_I wasn't planning on giving it back either way, _Yugi thought, but Seto wasn't finished. "But there is one condition. If you wish to keep the Pendant, then you must train to become one of my priests."

Silence.

Yugi could do naught but stare, trying not to let on how shocked he was but failing miserably. "Me?" He said eventually after a few failed attempts to speak. "You want _me _to become a priest?"

This was unheard of. Unspoken of. Did things like this even happen? You had to be born into that sort of life, have some sort of credible lineage to even think about serving the Pharaoh in such a close and intimate manner. Mana's parents were priests themselves, as were Mahado's and Karim's. They had the blood for it. Yugi was born a commoner, a peasant from the lower district of Memphis, his parents laborers who had nothing to offer the Pharaoh they owed except the life of their only son, who they had given away to repay their dept, but also to protect him. What did Seto have to gain by asking him this?

"The Pendant was created to serve the Pharaoh." Seto said, though most of them knew that to be false. "Thus far, you are the only one aside from Atem that the Pendant accepts. You have proven yourself to be loyal to the throne, Yugi, and my court would benefit from having someone like you in their midst. If you accept my offer, Siamun will train you until you are ready to assume your duties as a priest. The decision is entirely up to you."

Entirely up to him? That wasn't something Yugi was used to, having lived his life as a slave. Everything had been decided for him, from the time he woke up in the morning, to what he ate, and when he went to bed at night. He had been a victim of others' whims his entire life, never able to control his own fate. He had been born into poverty, forced into slavery, and even his own death had been taken from him. Now, the choice was his, yet he had no idea what to do.

Mana looked so very hopeful from behind Seto, her emerald eyes shining as she stared hard at Yugi, nodding, probably wanting one of her best friends to finally be on her level so they could talk as they wanted, laugh and play as they pleased, have the kind of relationship they both had yearned for since they were children. Mahado stood close beside her, more reserved in his demeanor but still smiling at Yugi, accepting no matter what path he chose. Karim didn't look too happy, though he didn't look upset either, and Yugi wondered if he really wanted to become more involved with the man than he already was, though perhaps this was the only way to make the priest respect him as a person. Siamun, the man Atem had respected so dearly during his life stood on Seto's left side, watching Yugi with his own small smile.

Then there was Anzu and her father, the latter of whom didn't really understand what was happening, though Anzu was watching Yugi carefully. Yugi knew without thinking that she wanted him to say yes, wanted him to finally step out of the shadows of his position in life and reach for something better, as Atem would have wanted him to do. Jounouchi and Honda were silent, and Yugi could only guess as to what those two were thinking, torn between wanting him to stay with them and wishing for him to have what they may never get.

His decision would affect so many people, and he doesn't want to hurt anyone, but what does he want? What does he want for himself now that Atem is dead? As of now, he's been floating around in a half-dead state himself, unwilling to think of the future, but now that he is, the anxiety is returning. What does he want?

If only Yugi knew.

"If it will help you make your decision," Seto said after a heady silence, "if you do agree, you will be permitted to attend Atem's burial this afternoon."

The statement should have made Yugi angry, and it did somewhat. He was Atem's lover. If anyone had a right to be there, it was him, regardless of his social status. But, of course, that wasn't how their world worked. Should he even go? It would technically just be a formality since Atem's soul was lost, never to return, so he didn't really need to go. But it would be his only chance to see Atem's body one last time, even if by now it was probably embalmed and wrapped, ready for burial. Yugi reached up to grasp at the strap tying the Pendant around his neck, his thoughts overwhelming him.

Anzu moved suddenly, stepping closer to Yugi and extending a hand, her eyes and smile kind. "Please, Yugi. Be my escort to the burial."

Yugi stared at her. Atem's male lover and female fiancé, attending his burial together. What a notion.

He thought of Atem then, of how he had looked as a toddler and a young man, smiling, frowning, crying, everything Yugi had witnessed since they were both very small. What would Atem want for him? Yugi recalled some of their last conversations, the deceased Pharaoh's idea to give Yugi his freedom.

Yugi knew what Atem would say if he were alive. He would tell him to decline but ask for his freedom. He would tell him to leave, to never look back, and go home, back to that place in Memphis where his parents were, where Becca was, where he could be his own man and never have to answer to anyone. It sounded appealing, and after all the trouble he had caused, Yugi just wanted to do what Atem said for a change, even if he wasn't around to appreciate it.

But then again, this was Yugi's time.

He could decide his own fate now, do what he wanted with his life instead of bending to someone else's wishes. There would always be a leader to follow, Yugi knew, for there was no way to climb higher and sit at the top of the pyramid where his love once resided.

But for now, for the first time in his life, Yugi held the power, and in front of the Pharaoh of Egypt and the King of Libya, he used it, releasing his hold on the strap tied to the Millennium Pendant and placing his hand in Anzu's.

**~FIN~**


End file.
